Records of the Cultural, Development and Scientific Relations Departments

The records produced by the various Foreign and Commonwealth Office Departments (and their immediate predecessors in the Commonwealth and Foreign Offices between January 1967 and October 1968) which dealt with cultural, overseas development and scientific relations between the UK and overseas countries, and with cultural, scientific and developmental business within the Offices.

There are records from the following departments:

• Aid and Commonwealth Financial Policy Departments, FCO 48
• Cultural Relations Department, FCO 13
• East-West Contacts Department, FCO 34
• Library and Records Department; files, FCO 12; cartographers' maps and plans, FCO 18
• Research Department, FCO 51
• Scientific Relations and Science and Technology Department, FCO 55
• Internal histories, FCO 75

Topics

International

Maps and plans

Research

Aid and development

Relations between the United Kingdom and other countries in cultural and scientific fields have long been of concern to the Foreign, and the Commonwealth Office and its predecessors, as part of the wider objective to increase the standing and influence of the UK internationally.

This concern continued under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and there were a number of departments dealing with cultural and scientific relations, not counting those concerned with information management. Cultural relations, especially the teaching of English overseas, were often conducted through the operation of the British Council, and scientific relations were often enhanced through the operation of the UK's development aid programme.

As well as promoting British culture abroad, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was involved in some cultural activities of its own, principally publication of historical records undertaken by the Library and Records Department.