200px|right|thumb| [[John Manners, 7th Duke of Rutland|Lord John Manners, later 7th Duke of Rutland, who served thrice as First Commissioner of Works in the 1850s and 1860s]]
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and subsequent to 1922, within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public and the commercial. The position was frequently of cabinet level. The office was renamed Minister of Works and Buildings and First Commissioner of Works in 1940, Minister of Works and Planning upon receiving statutory planning powers from the Ministry of Health in 1942, Minister of Works when those planning powers were moved to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning in 1943, and finally Minister of Public Buildings and Works in 1962. In this last form the commissioner had "additional responsibility for studying the problems of the building industry". On 15 October 1970 the role was amalgamated with the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Housing and Local Government in the Department of the Environment.
List of Works Commissioners and Ministers
First Commissioners of Works (1851–1940)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+First Commissioner of Works
! colspan=2 | Portrait
! Name<br><small>(Birth–Death)</small>
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! Party
! Ministry
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Edward Seymour<br>Lord Seymour<br><small>MP for Totnes<br>(1804–1885)</small>
| <small>1 August</small><br>1851
| <small>21 February</small><br>1852
| | Whig
| | Russell I
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Lord John Manners<br><small>MP for Colchester<br>(1818–1906)</small>
| <small>4 March</small><br>1852
| <small>17 December</small><br>1852
| | Conservative
| | Who? Who?
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| Sir William Molesworth<br>8th Baronet<br><small>MP for Southwark<br>(1810–1855)</small>
| <small>5 January</small><br>1853
| <small>21 July</small><br>1855
| | Radical
| | Aberdeen<br><small>(Peelite–Whig)</small>
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Benjamin Hall<br>1st Baronet<br><small>MP for Marylebone<br>(1802–1867)</small>
| <small>21 July</small><br>1855
| <small>21 February</small><br>1858
| | Whig
| | Palmerston I
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Lord John Manners<br><small>MP for Leicestershire North<br>(1818–1906)</small>
| <small>26 February</small><br>1858
| <small>11 June</small><br>1859
| | Conservative
| | Derby–Disraeli II
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Henry FitzRoy<br><small>MP for Lewes<br>(1807–1859)</small>
| <small>18 June</small><br>1859
| <small>17 December</small><br>1859
| | Liberal
| rowspan=2 | Palmerston II
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| rowspan=2 | William Cowper<br><small>MP for Hertford<br>(1811–1888)</small>
| rowspan=2 | <small>9 February</small><br>1860
| rowspan=2 | <small>26 June</small><br>1866
| rowspan=2 | Liberal
|-
| | Russell II
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Lord John Manners<br><small>MP for Leicestershire North<br>(1818–1906)</small>
| <small>6 July</small><br>1866
| <small>1 December</small><br>1868
| | Conservative
| | Derby–Disraeli III
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Austen Henry Layard<br><small>MP for Southwark<br>(1817–1894)</small>
| <small>9 December</small><br>1868
| <small>26 October</small><br>1869
| | Liberal
| rowspan=3 | Gladstone I
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Acton Smee Ayrton<br><small>MP for Tower Hamlets<br>(1816–1886)</small>
| <small>26 October</small><br>1869
| <small>11 August</small><br>1873
| | Liberal
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| William Patrick Adam<br><small>MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire<br>(1823–1881)</small>
| <small>11 August</small><br>1873
| <small>17 February</small><br>1874
| | Liberal
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Lord Henry Lennox<br><small>MP for Chichester<br>(1821–1886)</small>
| <small>21 March</small><br>1874
| <small>14 August</small><br>1876
| | Conservative
| rowspan=2 | Disraeli II
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Gerard Noel<br><small>MP for Rutland<br>(1823–1911)</small>
| <small>14 August</small><br>1876
| <small>21 April</small><br>1880
| | Conservative
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| William Patrick Adam<br><small>MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire<br>(1823–1881)</small>
| <small>3 May</small><br>1880
| 1880
| | Liberal
| rowspan=3 | Gladstone II
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| George Shaw Lefevre<br><small>MP for Reading<br>(1831–1928)</small>
| <small>29 November</small><br>1881
| <small>13 February</small><br>1885
| | Liberal
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Archibald Primrose<br>5th Earl of Rosebery<br><small>(1847–1929)</small>
| <small>13 February</small><br>1885
| <small>9 June</small><br>1885
| | Liberal
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| David Plunket<br><small>MP for Dublin University<br>(1838–1919)</small>
| <small>24 June</small><br>1885
| <small>28 January</small><br>1886
| | Conservative
| | Salisbury I
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Albert Parker<br>3rd Earl of Morley<br><small>(1843–1905)</small>
| <small>17 February</small><br>1886
| <small>16 April</small><br>1886
| | Liberal
| rowspan=2 | Gladstone III
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Victor Bruce<br>9th Earl of Elgin<br><small>(1849–1917)</small>
| <small>16 April</small><br>1886
| <small>20 July</small><br>1886
| | Liberal
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| David Plunket<br><small>MP for Dublin University<br>(1838–1919)</small>
| <small>5 August</small><br>1886
| <small>11 August</small><br>1892
| | Conservative
| | Salisbury II
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| George Shaw Lefevre<br><small>MP for Bradford Central<br>(1831–1928)</small>
| <small>18 August</small><br>1892
| <small>10 March</small><br>1894
| | Liberal
| | Gladstone IV
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Herbert Gladstone<br><small>MP for Leeds West<br>(1854–1930)</small>
| <small>10 March</small><br>1894
| <small>21 June</small><br>1895
| | Liberal
| | Rosebery
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Aretas Akers-Douglas<br><small>MP for St Augustine's<br>(1851–1926)</small>
| <small>4 July</small><br>1895
| <small>11 August</small><br>1902
| | Conservative
| | Salisbury<br><br><small>(Con.–Lib.U.)</small>
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Robert Windsor-Clive<br>14th Baron Windsor<br><small>(1857–1923)</small>
| <small>11 August</small><br>1902
| <small>4 December</small><br>1905
| | Conservative
| | Balfour<br><small>(Con.–Lib.U.)</small>
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| rowspan=2 | Lewis Vernon Harcourt<br><small>MP for Rossendale<br>(1863–1922)</small>
| rowspan=2 | <small>10 December</small><br>1905
| rowspan=2 | <small>3 November</small><br>1910
| rowspan=2 | Liberal
| | <br>Campbell-Bannerman<br>
|-
| rowspan=3 | Asquith<br>
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| William Lygon<br>7th Earl Beauchamp<br><small>(1872–1938)</small>
| <small>3 November</small><br>1910
| <small>6 August</small><br>1914
| | Liberal
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Alfred Emmott<br>1st Baron Emmott<br><small>(1858–1926)</small>
| <small>6 August</small><br>1914
| <small>25 May</small><br>1915
| | Liberal
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Lewis Vernon Harcourt<br><small>MP for Rossendale<br>(1863–1922)</small>
| <small>25 May</small><br>1915
| <small>10 December</small><br>1916
| | Liberal
| | Asquith Coalition<br><small>(Lib.–Con.–Lab.)</small>
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Alfred Mond<br>1st Baronet<br><small>MP for Swansea West<br>(1868–1930)</small>
| <small>10 December</small><br>1916
| <small>1 April</small><br>1921
| | Liberal
| rowspan=2 | Lloyd George<br><small>(I & II)</small><br>(Lib.–Con.–Lab.)
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| David Lindsay<br>27th Earl of Crawford<br><small>(1871–1940)</small>
| <small>1 April</small><br>1921
| <small>19 October</small><br>1922
| | Conservative
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| rowspan=2 | Sir John Baird<br>2nd Baronet<br><small>MP for Ayr Burghs<br>(1874–1941)</small>
| rowspan=2 | <small>31 October</small><br>1922
| rowspan=2 | <small>22 January</small><br>1924
| rowspan=2 | Conservative
| | Law
|-
| | Baldwin I
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| Fred Jowett<br><small>MP for Bradford East<br>(1864–1944)</small>
| <small>22 January</small><br>1924
| <small>3 November</small><br>1924
| | Labour
| | MacDonald I
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| William Wellesley Peel<br>2nd Viscount Peel<br><small>(1867–1937)</small>
| <small>10 November</small><br>1924
| <small>18 October</small><br>1928
| | Conservative
| rowspan=2 | Baldwin II
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart<br>7th Marquess of Londonderry<br><small>(1878–1949)</small>
| <small>18 October</small><br>1928
| <small>4 June</small><br>1929
| | Conservative
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| George Lansbury<br><small>MP for Bow and Bromley<br>(1859–1940)</small>
| <small>7 June</small><br>1929
| <small>24 August</small><br>1931
| | Labour
| | MacDonald II
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart<br>7th Marquess of Londonderry<br><small>(1878–1949)</small>
| <small>25 August</small><br>1931
| <small>5 November</small><br>1931
| | Conservative
| | National I<br><small>(N.Lab.–Con.–Lib.N.–Lib.)</small>
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| rowspan=2 | William Ormsby-Gore<br><small>MP for Stafford<br>(1885–1964)</small>
| rowspan=2 | <small>5 November</small><br>1931
| rowspan=2 | <small>16 June</small><br>1936
| rowspan=2 | Conservative
| | National II<br><small>(N.Lab.–Con.–Lib.N.–Lib.)</small>
|-
| rowspan=2 | National III<br><small>(Con.–N.Lab.–Lib.N.</small>)
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| James Stanhope<br>7th Earl Stanhope<br><small>(1880–1967)</small>
| <small>16 June</small><br>1936
| <small>27 May</small><br>1937
| | Conservative
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Philip Sassoon<br>3rd Baronet<br><small>MP for Hythe<br>(1888–1939)</small>
| <small>27 May</small><br>1937
| <small>7 June</small><br>1939
| | Conservative
| rowspan=2 | National IV<br><small>(Con.–N.Lab.–Lib.N.</small>)
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| rowspan=2 | Herwald Ramsbotham<br><small>MP for Lancaster<br>(1887–1971)</small>
| rowspan=2 | <small>7 June</small><br>1939
| rowspan=2 | <small>3 April</small><br>1940
| rowspan=2 | Conservative
|-
| rowspan=2 | Chamberlain War<br><small>(Con.–N.Lab.–Lib.N.</small>)
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| Herbrand Sackville<br>9th Earl De La Warr<br><small>(1900–1976)</small>
| <small>3 April</small><br>1940
| <small>18 May</small><br>1940
| | National Labour
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| George Tryon<br>1st Baron Tryon<br><small>(1871–1940)</small>
| <small>18 May</small><br>1940
| <small>3 October</small><br>1940
| | Conservative
| | Churchill War<br><small>(All parties)</small>
|-
|}
Ministers of Works & Buildings and First Commissioner of Works (1940–1942)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Minister of Works & Buildings and First Commissioner of Works
! colspan=2 | Portrait
! Name<br><small>(Birth–Death)</small>
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! Party
! Ministry
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| John Reith<br>1st Baron Reith<br><small>(1889–1971)</small>
| <small>3 October</small><br>1940
| <small>11 February</small><br>1942
| | Independent<br>(<small>National</small>)
| | Churchill War<br><small>(All parties)</small>
|-
|}
Ministers of Works and Planning (1942–1943)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Minister of Works and Planning
! colspan=2 | Portrait
! Name<br><small>(Birth–Death)</small>
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! Party
! Ministry
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| John Reith<br>1st Baron Reith<br><small>(1889–1971)</small>
| <small>3 October</small><br>1940
| <small>11 February</small><br>1942
| | Independent<br>(<small>National</small>)
| rowspan=2 | Churchill War<br><small>(All parties)</small>
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Wyndham Portal<br>1st Baron Portal<br><small>(1885–1949)</small>
| <small>22 February</small><br>1942
| <small>February</small><br>1943
| | Conservative
|}
Ministers of Works (1943–1962)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Minister of Works
! colspan=2 | Portrait
! Name<br><small>(Birth–Death)</small>
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! Party
! Ministry
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Wyndham Portal<br>1st Baron Portal<br><small>(1885–1949)</small>
| <small>February</small><br>1943
| <small>21 November</small><br>1944
| | Conservative
| rowspan=2 | Churchill War<br><small>(All parties)</small>
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| rowspan=2 | Duncan Sandys<br><small>MP for Norwood<br>(1908–1987)</small>
| rowspan=2 | <small>21 November</small><br>1944
| rowspan=2 | <small>26 July</small><br>1945
| rowspan=2 | Conservative
|-
| | Churchill Caretaker<br><small>(Con.–N.Lib.)</small>
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| George Tomlinson<br><small>MP for Farnworth<br>(1890–1952)</small>
| <small>4 August</small><br>1945
| <small>10 February</small><br>1947
| | Labour
| rowspan=4 | Attlee<br><small>(I & II)</small>
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| Charles Key<br><small>MP for Bow and Bromley<br>(1883–1964)</small>
| <small>10 February</small><br>1947
| <small>28 February</small><br>1950
| | Labour
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| Richard Stokes<br><small>MP for Ipswich<br>(1897–1957)</small>
| <small>28 February</small><br>1950
| <small>26 April</small><br>1951
| | Labour
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| George Brown<br><small>MP for Belper<br>(1914–1985)</small>
| <small>26 April</small><br>1951
| <small>26 October</small><br>1951
| | Labour
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir David Eccles<br><small>MP for Chippenham<br>(1904–1999)</small>
| <small>1 November</small><br>1951
| <small>18 October</small><br>1954
| | Conservative
| rowspan=2 | Churchill III
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Nigel Birch<br><small>MP for West Flintshire<br>(1906–1981)</small>
| <small>18 October</small><br>1954
| <small>20 December</small><br>1955
| | Conservative
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Patrick Buchan-Hepburn<br><small>MP for Beckenham<br>(1901–1974)</small>
| <small>20 December</small><br>1955
| <small>16 January</small><br>1957
| | Conservative
| | Eden
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Hugh Molson<br><small>MP for High Peak<br>(1903–1991)</small>
| <small>16 January</small><br>1957
| <small>22 October</small><br>1959
| | Conservative
| rowspan=2 | Macmillan<br><small>(I & II)</small>
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Lord John Hope<br><small>MP for Edinburgh Pentlands<br>(1912–1996)</small>
| <small>22 October</small><br>1959
| <small>16 July</small><br>1962
| | Conservative
|}
Ministers of Public Buildings and Works (1962–1970)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Minister of Public Buildings and Works
! colspan=2 | Portrait
! Name<br><small>(Birth–Death)</small>
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! Party
! Ministry
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| rowspan=2 | Geoffrey Rippon<br><small>MP for Norwich South<br>(1924–1997)</small>
| rowspan=2 | <small>16 July</small><br>1962
| rowspan=2 | <small>10 October</small><br>1964
| rowspan=2 | Conservative
| | Macmillan<br><small>(I & II)</small>
|-
| | Douglas-Home
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| Charles Pannell<br><small>MP for Leeds West<br>(1902–1980)</small>
| <small>19 October</small><br>1964
| <small>6 April</small><br>1966
| | Labour
| rowspan=4 |Wilson<br><small>(I & II)</small>
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| Reg Prentice<br><small>MP for East Ham North<br>(1923–2001)</small>
| <small>6 April</small><br>1966
| <small>29 August</small><br>1967
| | Labour
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| Bob Mellish<br><small>MP for Bermondsey<br>(1913–1998)</small>
| <small>29 August</small><br>1967
| <small>30 April</small><br>1969
| | Labour
|-
| style="background-color: " |
| 75px
| John Silkin<br><small>MP for Deptford<br>(1923–1987)</small>
| <small>30 April</small><br>1969
| <small>19 June</small><br>1970
| | Labour
|-
| style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Julian Amery<br><small>MP for Brighton Pavilion<br>(1919–1996)</small>
| <small>23 June</small><br>1970
| <small>15 October</small><br>1970
| | Conservative
| | Heath
|}