In 2010 Lord Hunt was appointed Labour's spokesman on Home Affairs in the House of Lords. He also serves as Labour's Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords. His previous positions have included Deputy Leader of the House of Lords; Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change; and Minister of State (Sustainable Development, Climate Change Adaptation and Air Quality) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He has also held positions in the Department of Health, Department for Work and Pensions and Ministry of Justice. In 1997 Philip Hunt was raised to the peerage as Baron Hunt of Kings Heath of Birmingham in the County of West Midlands and in 2009 was sworn of the Privy Council.