Offices of the Minister of Reconstruction, Lord President of the Council and Minister...

This series consists of registered files of the Offices of the Minister of Reconstruction, 1943 to May 1945, the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science, 1939 to 1964, in a single file series.

There are particular files relating to the Festival of Britain in 1951 and to charitable trusts and certain professional bodies, the University Grants Committee and committees relating to education and science. In addition there are pre-1959 files relating to civil science, including atomic energy policy and research into radioactive substances; European space programmes; agricultural and medical research. Many of the scientific and agricultural files relate to colonial as well as domestic programmes. There are files relating to the establishment of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and papers about the Trend Report on the re-organisation of civil science.

Partly by subject

For papers of the Department of Education and Science General Science Branch and its predecessors see ED 273

For the records of Cabinet Committees on Reconstruction see CAB 87

For papers of the Reconstruction Secretariat see CAB 117

Files relating to industrial matters are in

HF 3

• Office of the Lord President of the Council, 1473-1959
• Office of the Minister for Science, 1959-1964
• Office of the Minister of Reconstruction, 1943-1945

from 1975 Cabinet Office

Topics

Nuclear energy

Oil and gas

Research

Education

Events and exhibitions

Farming

Minister of Reconstruction

Lord Woolton was appointed Minister of Reconstruction, with a seat in the War Cabinet, in November 1943. The Prime Minister designated the new office as the focal point for all plans for the transitional period and defined its task as seeing that the plans of departments were brought into relation with each other; making sure that there were no gaps or conflict between departmental schemes; and bringing to the attention of ministers any problems not covered by existing preparations. Primary responsibility for formulating and administering plans, however, remained with existing departments, and Lord Woolton immediately made it clear that he had no intention of establishing an executive ministry, or a large staff.

The minister's responsibilities covered the whole field of reconstruction policy. Sir William Jowitt, however, as Minister without Portfolio, retained a special responsibility for the Beveridge Plan. The relationship between the two ministers was defined as one cabinet minister helping another in a special task. The Minister without Portfolio spoke for the Minister of Reconstruction in the House of Commons.

The Office of Minister of Reconstruction lasted until May 1945 when, with the formation of the caretaker Cabinet prior to the election of that year, Lord Woolton was appointed Lord President of the Council, retaining his responsibility for reconstruction policy.

The small staff of the Office of the Minister of Reconstruction had office accommodation in Richmond Terrace. During its short existence it produced numerous reports on health, social services, housing, employment and other subjects.

Minister for Science

Under the Minister for Science Order 1959 all the powers of the Prime Minister and the Lord President of the Council in respect of atomic energy, radioactive substances and various research organisations were transferred to a new Minister for Science.

This minister took the place of the Lord President as chairman of all five Privy Council committees for scientific research, took over the statutory atomic energy responsibilities of the Prime Minister, and was charged with the general supervision of the developing programme of space research. Outside the sphere of defence research he was made responsible for broad questions of scientific policy, on which he was advised by the existing Advisory Council on Scientific Policy.

A small Office of the Minister for Science was established in October 1959, which in effect superseded the Office of the Lord President of the Council.

Lord Hailsham, who had been Lord President, became Minister for Science and Lord Privy Seal, exchanging the latter office for that of Lord President in July 1960. Between November 1959 and March 1964, Lord Hailsham was also the minister responsible for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

On 1 April 1964 the office of Minister for Science was abolished and all functions of the minister were vested in a new Secretary of State for Education and Science, held by Lord Hailsham until October 1964.