Records of the Communications Department

Records of the Communications Department relating to responsibilities for shipping, civil aviation, posts and telecommunications and meteorological services.

Consists of files of the Communications Department in OD 23

• Colonial Office, Communications Department, 1965-1966
• Department of Technical Co-operation, Communications Department, 1961-1964
• Ministry of Overseas Development, Communications Department, 1964-1965

Topics

Air transport

Communications

The Department of Technical Co-operation having taken over responsibility from the Colonial Office for all communications matters in 1961, the Communications Department became part of the Ministry of Overseas Development when it was established in 1964. The Department's responsibilities covered shipping, civil aviation, posts and telecommunications and meteorological services.

Although there was some technical assistance activity to non-Commonwealth or colonial territories (such as the provision of assistance in air traffic control systems for countries as diverse as Italy and Libya) and the Department was involved in the negotiation of air services agreements outside of the Commonwealth, the majority of the Department's work remained focused on the remaining colonial areas and on recently independent Commonwealth territories. The functions of the Department were returned to the Colonial Office in 1965, remaining technical assistance work passing to the relevant geographical divisions of the Ministry.