Foreign Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Scientific Relations Department...

This series consists of registered files of the Scientific Relations Department of the Foreign Office, and later the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (from December 1968 the Science and Technology Department) relating to general matters of international science.

Subjects covered include general scientific relations between the UK, international organisations and other states; the use of the sea bed; research and activity in outer space including satellite communications; civil uses of atomic energy; the civil aviation industry; and international environmental questions.

By former file reference within annual file cycles.

For further files relating to atomic energy see FCO 22

• Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Science and Technology Department, 1968-1977
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Scientific Relations Department, 1968-1968
• Foreign Office, Scientific Relations Department, 1965-1968

From 1999 Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Topics

International

Air transport

Nuclear energy

Communications

The Scientific Relations Department dealt with general matters of international science in which the Foreign Office and later the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) were interested, including the use of outer space for research purposes, the peaceful uses of atomic energy, and desalination of sea water. The department continued for a short period after the formation of the FCO in 1968, but was replaced in December 1968 by the Science and Technology Department, which was also interested in developments in civil aviation.