Editing Paymaster General (section)

==Role==
Today, the Paymaster General is usually a [[Minister without portfolio (United Kingdom)|minister without portfolio]] available for any duties which the government of the day may designate. The post may be combined with another office, or may be left unfilled.

Though the Paymaster General was titular head of the Paymaster General's Office, their executive functions were delegated to the Assistant Paymaster General, a permanent [[civil servant]] who (though acting in the name of the Paymaster General) was answerable to the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]].<ref name="NA" />

===Office of HM Paymaster General===
The Paymaster General was formerly in nominal charge (and at one time in actual charge) of the '''Office of HM Paymaster General'''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gater |first1=G.H. |last2=Wheeler |first2=E.P. |title=Office of the Paymaster-General |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol16/pt1/pp17-27 |website=British History Online |publisher=London County Council |location=London |date=1935 |pages=17–27 |access-date=28 February 2017}}</ref> ('''OPG'''), which held accounts at the [[Bank of England]] on behalf of government departments and selected other public bodies. Funds which were made available from the [[Consolidated Fund]] were then channelled into OPG accounts, from where they were used by the relevant body. OPG operated a full range of accounts and banking transaction services, including cheque and credit, [[BACS]] and [[CHAPS]] services for its customers via an electronic banking system. Integration of OPG accounts held with commercial banks was provided by the private company '''Xafinity Paymaster''' which is now part of the [[Equiniti]] group.

However, in 2008, the government announced that the Office of the Paymaster General would be incorporated into a new body, the '''Government Banking Service''',<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100407190524/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_48_08.htm |archive-date=7 April 2010 |df=dmy-all |url=http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_48_08.htm |url-status=dead |title=Press Release: Angela Eagle launches the Government Banking Service |publisher=HM Treasury |date=22 May 2008}}</ref> which also provides banking operations for [[HM Revenue & Customs]] and [[National Savings and Investments]]. Following the Bank of England's decision to withdraw from providing retail banking services,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/insolvencyprofessionandlegislation/ipb/Important%20changes%20to%20banking%20arrangements%20for%20the%20ISA.doc |title=Important changes to banking arrangements for the Insolvency Services Account |website=insolvency.gov.uk |publisher=The [[Insolvency Service]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030173317/http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/insolvencyprofessionandlegislation/ipb/Important%20changes%20to%20banking%20arrangements%20for%20the%20ISA.doc |archive-date=30 October 2010 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> retail banking and payment services for the GBS are provided by a range of financial institutions including [[Barclays]], [[Citibank]], [[NatWest]], and [[Worldpay, Inc.|Worldpay]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/government-banking-service-gbs |title=Government Banking |publisher=gov.uk}}</ref> although the Bank of England still plays a role in managing the government's higher level accounts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/government-banking-service.pdf |title=Government Banking Service |publisher=[[Department for Work and Pensions]]}}</ref>