Cabinet Office: Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser: Dr Press's Files

CAB 178

1958-1976

This series consists of Dr Robert Press' records as Chief Scientific Adviser and contains files relating to aspects of the military and civil uses of nuclear energy.

Papers of Dr Press as ACSA(N) at the Ministry of Defence are in DEFE 19

D file series

Public Record(s)

English

22 file(s)

Open unless otherwise stated

In 2003-2006 Cabinet Office

Topics

Nuclear energy

No future accruals expected

When the Central Defence Scientific Staff was constituted within the unified Ministry of Defence in 1964 Robert Press became Assistant Chief Scientific Adviser, Nuclear. In 1967 he was appointed as a Chief Scientific Officer in the Cabinet Office Science and Technology Group, to specialise in providing advice on nuclear matters. After Solly Zuckerman's retirement Dr Press, as a Deputy Secretary, reported directly to the Secretary of the Cabinet. Sir Alan Cottrell became Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government. On Sir Alan's resignation in April 1974 Dr Press was appointed as Deputy Secretary, Science and Technology, with responsibility within the Cabinet Office for advice on scientific and technological questions. On Dr Press's formal retirement from the Cabinet Office in 1976 the scientific advisory role was transferred to the Central Policy Review Staff, to which a chief scientist was appointed. Dr Press continued to work for the Cabinet Office on a consultancy basis until 1981. He died in 1984.