In the Netherlands, a Minister without portfolio is a Government minister that does not head a specific ministry, but assumes the same power and responsibilities as a minister that does. The minister is responsible for a specific part of another minister's policy field. In that sense, a minister without portfolio is comparable to a State Secretary (staatssecretaris), a junior minister in Dutch politics, who also falls under another ministry and is responsible for a specific part of that minister's policy field. However, one distinct difference is that a minister without portfolio is a member of the Council of Ministers and can vote in it, whereas a state secretary is not. The minister for development cooperation has always been a minister without portfolio.

The Second Gerbrandy cabinet, also called the Third London cabinet was the Dutch government-in-exile from 27 July 1941 until 23 February 1945. The cabinet was formed by the political parties Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP), Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP), Christian Historical Union (CHU), Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB) and the Liberal State Party (LSP) following the resignation of First Gerbrandy cabinet on 12 June 1941. The national unity government (War cabinet) was the third of four war cabinets of the government-in-exile in London during World War II.