Records created or inherited by the Northern Ireland Office

Records of the Northern Ireland Office, administering the government of Northern Ireland from 1972.

At present these consist of records of the Home Office which were transferred to the Northern Ireland Office on its establishment in 1972. CJ 1 contains Home Office six-figure series files; CJ 3 and CJ 4 contain Home Office symbol series files; CJ 5 contains registered files (UKR series) of the UK government representative in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Office.

CJ 2 is a number not used.

For series created for regularly archived websites (not specified here), please see the separate Websites Division.

See also Records of the Irish Office in

Records of the former Northern Ireland departments exercising devolved powers are transferred to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast, under the Public Records Act (Northern Ireland) 1923.

• Home Office, 1782-1782
• Northern Ireland Office, 1972-1972

from 1983 Northern Ireland Office

Topics

Ireland

Following nearly four years of disturbances, the United Kingdom government imposed direct rule on Northern Ireland in March 1972, and the Northern Ireland Office was established. The Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act provided for the appointment of a Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with powers to act as chief executive officer in respect of Irish services in place of the government of Northern Ireland. The Parliament of Northern Ireland was prorogued and its powers made exercisable through orders in Council. The Secretary of State was advised by a Northern Ireland Commission appointed by himself, and he took over the Northern Ireland Department of the Home Office. The Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 provided for the abolition of the Parliament of Northern Ireland and its replacement by a new form of devolved government through an assembly and executive, which came into operation in January 1974. The post of Governor was abolished, and the Secretary of State exercised the devolved powers through the executive, which he appointed, and through the existing Northern Ireland departments. Seven Northern Ireland departments had been set up in 1921: the Prime Minister's department and the Ministries of Finance, Home Affairs, Labour, Education, Agriculture and Commerce. Later Ministries of Health, Development and, in 1969, Community Relations were added.

The Secretary of State provided the channel of communication between the executive and the United Kingdom government. The assembly and executive collapsed under political and industrial pressure on 29 May 1974 and the Secretary of State resumed direct executive powers.