Ministry of Transport and successors, Port and Transit: Correspondence and Papers

MT 63

1915-1957

This series consists of correspondence and papers of the Directorate of Shipping in Port of the Ministry of Shipping, and the Port and Transit Control organisation of the Ministries of Transport and War Transport.

The series also contains papers of overseas Ministry of War Transport Representatives and minutes of meetings of the Port and Transit Standing and Advisory Committees, 1937 to 1940; the Central Transport Committee, 1941 to 1948, the Overseas Port and Transit Committee, 1941 to 1945, Regional Port Directors, 1942 to 1944, the North African Shipping Board, 1942 to 1943, and its successor, the Mediterranean Shipping Board, 1943 to 1946, and various other committees.

Following the end of the second world war and the winding-up of the Port and Transit Organization, the PT series of files, in which the bulk of the papers in this series are registered, was continued for records arising from certain of the Ministry of Transport's functions in relation to the peace-time operation of ports, docks, canals, piers and harbours.

Subjects include: labour and working conditions, development schemes, finance, legislation and byelaws, inquiries into working methods and port facilities and the setting-up of a warning system following the East Coast floods of 1953.

See also the Records of the National Dock Labour Corporation and Board BK

Material concerning canals can also be found in MT 52

Some files from this series have been re-registered in the P series in

MT 81

PT series

Public Record(s)

English

• Ministry of Shipping, Directorate of Shipping in Port, 1939-1941
• Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Docks and Canal Division, 1953-1954
• Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Ports and Inland Waterways Division, 1954-1955
• Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Ports Division, 1955-1959
• Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Railways and Inland Waterways, 1955-1959
• Ministry of Transport, Docks and Canal Division, 1934-1941
• Ministry of Transport, Docks and Canal Division, 1946-1953
• Ministry of Transport, Harbour Branch, 1923-1934
• Ministry of Transport, Ports and Transit Division, 1938-1941
• Ministry of War Transport, Port and Transit Control, 1941-1946

505 file(s)

Department of Transport , in 1972 , from 1981 to1997

Department of the Environment , in 1972 , from 1981 to1997

Topics

Shipping

Canals and river transport

Labour

Transport management

Conflict

Disasters and emergencies

Operations, battles and campaigns

The Ministry of Transport's Port and Transit Division and the Ministry of War Transport's Port and Transit Control orgsanised and oversaw the operation of British and Allied merchant shipping and cargoes in United Kingdom and overseas ports.

In 1936, a sub-committee 'B' of the Committee of Imperial Defence had instituted emergency committees in many British ports with the object of securing a rapid discharge and distribution of ships' cargoes during a War emergency. The function of this Sub-committee was transferred in 1937 to the Ministry of Transport, which formed the Port and Transit Standing and Advisory Committees at its London headquarters. Both Committees were inter-departmental but the Advisory Committee included trade representatives.

The Standing Committee, in consultation with the various local port committees, prepared and supervised schemes for more efficient port operation. One of its more important functions was the organisation of the Shipping Diversion Room, an inter-departmental body which included representatives of the port, shipping and transport industries. The Diversion Room controlled the movements of merchant shipping in the light of defence considerations, port availability or cargo destination. It functioned until the end of 1945.

The two Port and Transit Committees at headquarters were abolished at the end of 1940 by Cabinet decision, and in the three major west coast ports Regional Port Directors were appointed, with special powers under the Minister to ensure efficient port functioning in their areas

In the Clyde and Mersey ports schemes for guaranteed employment of dock labour were introduced in 1941 and administered by the Regional Port Directors. The diversion of shipping from east to west coast ports, the increasing shipments from North America and air attacks on port installations created serious congestion. This led to the successful adoption - notably in the Clyde anchorages - of the overside discharge of ocean cargoes into coastal and smaller craft.

Ministry of War Transport Representatives (MWTR) overseas originally titled Ministry of Shipping Representatives (MSR) supervised Government shipping and cargoes in the principal Allied and Commonwealth ports. As the war progressed Representatives operated in Russian Arctic ports, the Mediterranean and other liberated areas. Ministry shipping experts visited Commonwealth ports and reported on schemes to improve shipping and port operations.