In France, a subprefecture (French: sous-préfecture) is the administrative town of an arrondissement that does not contain the prefecture for its department. Subprefecture is also the name given to the building which houses the administrative headquarters for the arrondissement. The civil servant in charge of a subprefecture is the subprefect, assisted by a general secretary. Between May 1982 and February 1988, subprefects were known instead by the title "commissaire adjoint de la République".