Editing 10 Downing Street (section)

{{Short description|Residence and office of the UK prime minister}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{about|the building|details of the office housed within it|Prime Minister's Office (United Kingdom)}}
{{Redirect|No.10|}}
{{Infobox building
| name             = 10 Downing Street
| image            = 10 Downing Street. MOD 45155532.jpg
| location_town    = [[City of Westminster]]<br />[[London]], [[SW postcode area|SW1]]
| location_country = [[United Kingdom]]
| coordinates      = {{Coord|51.5033|-0.1275|region:GB-LND_type:landmark|display=title,inline|format=dms}}
| completion_date  = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1684}}
| architect        = [[Christopher Wren]]
| embedded         = 
| map_type         = United Kingdom London Westminster
| map_caption      = Location in Westminster
| client           = 
| current_tenants  = [[Keir Starmer|Sir Keir Starmer]] ([[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]), [[Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] and family <br /> [[Larry (cat)|Larry]] ([[Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office]])
{{Infobox designation list
| embed                   = yes
| designation1            = Grade I Listed Building
| designation1_offname    = 10 Downing Street, SW1A 2AA
| designation1_type       = 
| designation1_criteria   = 
| designation1_date       = 14 January 1970
| delisted1_date          = 
| designation1_partof     = 
| designation1_number     = 1210759<ref name="NHLE">{{National Heritage List for England|num=1210759|desc=10 Downing Street|access-date=6 August 2017}}</ref>
| designation1_free1name  = 
| de_free1value = 
| designation1_free2name  = 
| des_free2value = 
| designation1_free3name  = 
| designation1_ =
}}
| engineer         = 
| construction_start_date = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1682}}
| date_demolished  = 
| style            = [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]]
}}
'''10 Downing Street''' in [[London]] is the [[official residence]] and office of the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister of the United Kingdom]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=About us - Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street - GOV.UK|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street/about|access-date=25 March 2023|website=www.gov.uk|language=en|archive-date=25 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325012225/https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street/about|url-status=live}}</ref> Colloquially known as '''Number 10''', the building is located in [[Downing Street]], off [[Whitehall]] in the [[City of Westminster]].

It is over 300 years old, is a Grade I [[listed building]],<ref name="NHLE" /> and contains approximately 100 rooms. A private residence for the prime minister occupies the third floor and there is a kitchen in the basement. The other floors contain offices and conference, reception, sitting and dining rooms where the prime minister works, and where government ministers, national leaders, and foreign dignitaries are met and hosted. At the rear is an interior courtyard and a terrace overlooking [[Garden of 10 and 11 Downing Street|a {{cvt|1/2|acres|ha|1|adj=on}} garden]]. Number 10 is adjacent to [[St James's Park]], approximately {{convert|3/4|mi}} from [[Buckingham Palace]], the official residence of the [[British Monarchy|British monarch]] in London, and is near the [[Palace of Westminster]], the meeting place of both Houses of [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]].

Originally three houses, Number 10 was offered to [[Robert Walpole]] by [[George II of Great Britain|King George II]] in 1732.<ref name="gardeners">{{cite news |title=10 Surprising facts about Number 10 Downing Street |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3LrMh99XJ1Xsh7GtrvH1s8H/10-surprising-facts-about-number-10-downing-street |publisher=BBC |date=2020 |access-date=16 June 2020 |archive-date=21 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521131534/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3LrMh99XJ1Xsh7GtrvH1s8H/10-surprising-facts-about-number-10-downing-street |url-status=live }}</ref> Walpole accepted on the condition that the gift was to the office of [[First Lord of the Treasury]]. The post of First Lord of the Treasury has, for much of the 18th and 19th centuries and invariably since 1905, been held by the prime minister. Walpole commissioned [[William Kent]] to join the three houses and it is this larger house that is known as Number 10 Downing Street.

Despite its size and convenient location near to Parliament, few early prime ministers lived at 10 Downing Street. Costly to maintain, neglected, and run-down, Number 10 was scheduled to be demolished several times, but the property survived and became linked with many statesmen and events in British history. In 1985 Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] said Number 10 had become "one of the most precious jewels in the national heritage".<ref name="multiref1">{{harvnb|Jones|1985}}, in letter from Margaret Thatcher used as a preface to the book.</ref>

The [[Prime Minister's Office (United Kingdom)|Prime Minister's Office]], for which the terms ''Downing Street'' and ''Number 10'' are [[Metonymy|metonyms]], lies within the 10 Downing Street building and is part of the [[Cabinet Office]].<ref name=CO_0001>{{cite web |url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about-cabinet-office/cabinet-office-structure.aspx |title=Cabinet Office structure |publisher=[[Cabinet Office]] HM Government |date=10 June 2010 |access-date=6 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701163002/http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about-cabinet-office/cabinet-office-structure.aspx |archive-date=1 July 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is staffed by [[Civil Service (United Kingdom)|civil servants]] and [[special adviser (UK)|special adviser]]s. 

10 Downing Street is property of [[Government of the United Kingdom|His Majesty’s Government]]. Its registered legal title is held in the name of the [[Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government|secretary of state for housing, communities and local government]], and the [[Secretary of State (United Kingdom)|secretary of state]] is a [[corporation sole]].<ref>{{Cite letter |author=Sharon Carter, for Cabinet Office
|recipient=Sharon Lewis|subject=Who owns 10 Downing Street? Response to Freedom of Information request of 11 September 2018 |date=9 October 2018|format=PDF|location=Whitehall|publisher=Cabinet Office|url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/who_owns_10_downing_street/response/1246876/attach/3/FOI326844%20REPLY.pdf|mode= |id=FOI Reference:FOI326844}}</ref>