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.