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Series

Welsh Office: Devolution Group: Registered Files (DEV Series)

Catalogue reference: BD 108

What's it about?

BD 108

This series contains the registered files of the Welsh Office Devolution Unit. The files contain correspondence arising from the report of the Kilbrandon Commission on devolution, including representations and queries from other government...

Full description and record details

Reference
BD 108
Title
Welsh Office: Devolution Group: Registered Files (DEV Series)
Date
1963-1979
Description

This series contains the registered files of the Welsh Office Devolution Unit. The files contain correspondence arising from the report of the Kilbrandon Commission on devolution, including representations and queries from other government departments, local authorities and individuals. There are similar records in response to the 1976 White Paper - 'Our Changing Democracy'. Files deal with the attitude and perceived attitude of the Welsh Office to devolution and also contain correspondence with other government departments and public sector organisations. Also included are files dealing with the proposed re-organisation of the Welsh Office following devolution and discussions with other government departments about possible functions which could be devolved to the new Assembly.

The Wales Act contained the provision for the re-organisation of local government authorities. Files in this series contain information on this subject, which continued to be dealt with until the fall of the Labour Government in 1979.

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
English and Welsh
Physical description
417 file(s)
Access conditions
Open
Immediate source of acquisition

From 2003 National Assembly for Wales

Subjects
Topics
Democracy
Devolution
Custodial history
Passed from the Welsh Office to the National assembly for Wales in 1999
Accumulation dates
File series ran from 1973 to 1979
Accruals
Series is accruing.
Selection and destruction information
These records have been selected in accordance with section 2.2.1 (Policy and administrative processes of the state) of the Acquisition Policy. All files have been selected except for a few containing duplicate copies, published material or relate to routine administrative matters.
Administrative / biographical background

The Devolution Unit, also known as the Kilbrandon Unit was set up, originally as part of the Finance Group, around 1975. Later the Unit became an independent section within the Welsh Office. Towards the end of its life, the Unit was informally divided into two sections, A & B. At this point files were marked as 'A' or 'B' files. The arrangement of the series does not reflect this. The Unit was wound up in 1978, after the referendum that year voted against devolution. Some papers pre-date the establishment of the Unit, and there are also later papers.

Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C15767/

Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

19,427 records

Within the department: BD

Records created or inherited by the Welsh Office and the Wales Office

You are currently looking at the series: BD 108

Welsh Office: Devolution Group: Registered Files (DEV Series)

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