12 Downing Street

12 Downing Street is the official residence of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury. This is the post held by the Chief Whip of the governing party of the UK Parliament.

Downing Street looking west. The Foreign and Commonwealth office is on the left. The four adjoining houses 12-9 Downing St. are of dark brick, but 12 has the white-painted ground floor. The building on the right is the Barry wing of the Cabinet Office, which has its main frontage to Whitehall.

Under the current government, the building is being used to house the Prime Minister's Press Office, Strategic Communications Unit and Information and Research Unit. The Chief Whip has his offices in 9 Downing Street. However, the Chief Whip still lives in the flat above 12 Downing Street.

Other residences in Downing Street are 10 Downing Street, official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury (a position that has been held by the Prime Minister since the early 20th century), and 11 Downing Street, official residence of the Second Lord of the Treasury who in recent years has also held the title of Chancellor of the Exchequer.

External links

• 12 Downing Street section at the Survey of London online. However, this refers to an earlier 12 Downing Street.