The cabinet secretariat is at the centre of daily government business.
It is non-departmental in its function and role and serves the cabinet itself along with its cabinet committees and sub-committees.
Although it sits in the Cabinet Office, it should not be confused with the government department of the same name.
The cabinet secretariat serves the prime minister and ministers who chair committees.
The head of the secretariat is the cabinet secretary, an independent civil servant who is also head of the Home Civil Service.
This post was created in 1916, and its responsibilities include co-ordinating inter-departmental business on behalf of the Cabinet and its committees, helping the prime minister to prepare a cabinet agenda, and keeping the minutes of cabinet meetings.
The four main teams in the secretariat are the Economic & Domestic Affairs Secretariat, the European Secretariat, the Defence & Overseas Secretariat, and the Civil Contingencies Secretariat.