The Financial Secretary to the War Office and for certain periods known as the Finance Member of the Army Council, was a junior ministerial office of the British government established in 1870.

[3] In 1870 a Financial Secretary to the War Office was appointed and was responsible to the Secretary of State for War, for estimates and for the appropriation, accounting and audit of funds voted for military purposes.

Following organisational changes within the War Office between 1887 and 1888 he was given additional responsibilities.

During this period the executive duties of his office were gradually transferred to the Permanent Secretary's department.

[5] Prior to 1947 the office holder's department consisted of numerous departments and directorates, after 1947 he was solely concerned with general political aspects of financial policy and had no further roles were assigned to him.