In England, regional ministers were appointed from 2007 on a part-time basis as part of Her Majesty's Government. Each minister had other departmental responsibilities, as well as specific responsibilities for one of the English regions. Their stated role was "to provide a clear sense of strategic direction for the nine English regions and to help strengthen their links with central government." Since 2010, a number of similar roles have been created, including a Minister for Cities in 2011, Minister for Portsmouth in 2014 and Minister for the Northern Powerhouse in May 2015.