Cabinet Office: Chief Scientific Adviser, Solly Zuckerman: Registered Files (Z Series)

CAB 168

1964-1972

This series consists of files raised in the Chief Scientific Adviser's office on international and UK bilateral issues and on all aspects of UK government and industry research and development including: nuclear research; atomic power and weapons, including proliferation; technological co-operation in Europe, including the Soviet Union; reports and papers of the Central Advisory Council on Science and Technology; space policy; land and air transport; computers; chemical and biological weapons, including CS gas; papers of the International Centre for Systematic Analysis of Advanced Societies; the 'brain drain'; the Torrey Canyon oil tanker spillage; papers on the Communications-Electronic and Space Committee.

Former reference order in a single sequence

Z file series

Public Record(s)

English

292 file(s)

Subject to 30 year closure

Cabinet Office

Topics

Europe and Russia

Computing

Oil and gas

Research

Weapons

Sewerage

Operations, battles and campaigns

No future accruals expected

Routine review, including advice from Zuckerman himself

The Science and Technology Group in the Cabinet Office had its genesis in 1964 when Sir Solly Zuckerman, then Chief Scientific Adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence, was named Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government and Head of the Scientific Civil Service. In 1966 he moved full time to the Cabinet Office. From then until his retirement in 1971, Sir Solly's responsibilities in the Cabinet Office for all scientific and technological matters of national concern included responsibility for advice on and coordination of all matters relating to nuclear policy. Robert Press was transferred from the Ministry of Defence, as a nuclear specialist, with Sir Solly, and on the latter's retirement became responsible for nuclear advisory and coordination work reporting directly to the Secretary of the Cabinet.