Catalogue description Ministry of Health: Civil Defence, Registered Files (P(H) and CD(H) Series)

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Details of MH 131
Reference: MH 131
Title: Ministry of Health: Civil Defence, Registered Files (P(H) and CD(H) Series)
Description:

This series contains files covering the whole range of the Ministry of Health's civil defence activities, in particular the National Hospital Service Reserve.
Date: 1965-1974
Arrangement:

Former file reference
Related material:

For comparable files for Wales see BD 2
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: P(H) file series
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

Ministry of Health, 1919-1968
Physical description: 153 file(s)
Access conditions: Subject to 30 year closure
Immediate source of acquisition:

From 1999 Department of Health
Custodial history: Transferred to the Department of Health and Social Security in 1968 and to the Department of Health in 1988.
Accruals: Series is accruing
Administrative / biographical background:

Section 1 of the Civil Defence Act 1948 made it 'part of the functions of designated Ministers to take such steps as appear from time to time to be necessary or expedient for civil defence purposes.' By an Order in Council dated 28 July 1949, The Civil Defence (Designation of the Minister of Health) Order 1949, the Minister of Health was designated responsible for a number of civil defence unctions. These included control of medical manpower, care of the homeless and other refugees, emergency ambulance service, and civil defence arrangements in hospitals. This included the National Hospital Service Reserve which was established by the minister to provide a trained and organised body of men and women available to meet the needs of an expanded hospital service in the event of war.

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