Rt Hon Lord Howell of Guildford

Rt Hon Lord David Howell was appointed Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 14 May 2010.

Lord Howell was made a life peer in 1997.  He was Member of Parliament for Guildford from 1966 to 1997.

Lord Howell was born in January 1936 and educated at Eton. From 1954 to 1956 he was in the Armed Forces in the 2nd Btn Coldstream Guards. He studied at King's College, Cambridge where he read Economics. His first job was in HM Treasury from 1959-60, before becoming a leader writer for the Daily Telegraph from 1960-64.

He is the author of several books, including the best selling The Edge of Now, published in 2000.  He has written regular columns for international newspapers including The Japan Times and the International Herald Tribune.

He is married with two daughters and one son.

Positions held

• Member of Parliament for Guildford, 1966 – 1997
• Parliamentary Secretary, Civil Service Department, 1970 – 1972
• Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Employment, 1971 – 1972
• Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office, 1972
• Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, 1972 – 1974
• Minister of State at the Department of Energy, 1974
• Secretary of State for Energy, 1979 – 1981
• Secretary of State for Transport, 1981 – 1983
• Opposition spokesperson for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 2000 – 2010
• Deputy Opposition Leader of the Lords, 2005 - 2010

Responsibilities

• All of FCO business in the House of Lords
• The Commonwealth
• International Energy Policy