Henk van Hoof

Henk van Hoof was born on the 9th of November 1947 in Nijmegen.
After finishing secondary school he joined the Royal Navy as a supply officer from 1965 to 1981. When he left the navy he went to work for the Association of Higher Trained Personnel in 1981. He worked there as negotiator and coordinator of the Central Labour Agreement. He also served as head of trade union affairs of the association from 1990 to 1991.

In November of that year Mr Van Hoof became a member of the Lower House on behalf of the Liberal Party (VVD). He was a member of the party executive within parliament and was party spokesman on social security affairs.

In 1992 he was the vice-chairman of the Buurmeijer Commission, which investigated the implementation of the social security system during the Eighties.  He was also chairman of the Permanent Commission for Petitions and a member of the Permanent Commissions for Defence and for Social Affairs and Employment.

On the 3rd of August 1998 Mr. Van Hoof was appointed State Secretary of Defence in the second Kok government. He returned to the Lower House in 2002 after that government resigned. After that he served as acting mayor for Delfzijl from the 26th of August 2003 until May 1st 2004.

He was appointed State Secretary of Social Affairs and Employment in the second Balkenende government on the 17th of June 2004.

His main task is implementing policy concerning welfare, the labour market, the Sheltered Employment Act, national insurances, fighting social security fraud and labour conditions.