Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and predecessors: Welsh Department Regional...

This series contains selected files from the Welsh Department Regional Office documenting the office's responsibilities for promoting the development and efficiency of agriculture in Wales, administering funds and subsidies, and advising on policy formation and development. Subjects covered include investigations into the effects of proposed policies, eg grants and subsidies to individuals and areas; land drainage and Forestry Commission Schemes; control of agricultural pests, inspections of farms and slaughter houses; and the implications of policy changes on smallholdings (with plans of some smallholdings).

The series contains files transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the Welsh Office when the latter became responsible for these subjects on 1 April 1978. Among these are files relating to the Wales Rural Development Board, and one file concerning the aftermath of the Aberfan Disaster, October 1966.

For papers of the committee of enquiry into setting up the Wales Rural Development Board see MAF 118

from 2003 National Assembly for Wales

from 1989 Welsh Office

from 1980 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Topics

Maps and plans

Food and drink

Fishing

Forestry

Disasters and emergencies

Farming

The Welsh Department of the Ministry developed from the work of the Agricultural Council for Wales, which was set up in 1912 under the control of an Agricultural Commissioner for Wales and dealt exclusively with agricultural education in Wales and Monmouthshire. In September 1919 the Welsh Office was established at the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Commissioner for Wales was appointed as the Board's Secretary for Wales. The Welsh Office was renamed the Welsh Department in 1922.

The board's, and subsequently the ministry's, work on all matters affecting Wales was undertaken from the Welsh Office/Department in Aberystwyth and the secretary was the minister's chief representative in Wales, both in dealings with local bodies and for relations with other government departments. The Welsh Department subsequently dealt with such matters as land tenure, land use and a number of livestock improvement schemes, including bull and boar licensing as well as carrying out the normal regional office functions of the ministry's regional organisation. On 1 April 1978, responsibility for agriculture in Wales was transferred to the Welsh Office.