Catalogue description United Kingdom Treasury and Supply Delegation, Washington: Records

Early in the 1939-1945 war the Treasury sent a delegation to the USA to conduct the first lend-lease negotiations, and from this a mission subsequently became established and was known as the United Kingdom Treasury Delegation.

During the war a number of separate missions maintained in the USA by the supply departments were amalgamated to form the British Supply Office, the expenses of which were borne on a separate vote in class 10, accounted for by the Ministry of Supply.

The development after the war of the European Recovery Programme called for a new supply organisation in Washington, and a new British Supply Office was formed which absorbed the British Food Mission, the remains of the old British Supply Office and certain staff and functions previously attached to the British Embassy. The expenses of the new office were borne on the Treasury vote. On 1 July 1949 the United Kingdom Treasury Delegation and the British Supply Office were amalgamated as the United Kingdom Treasury and Supply Delegation (UKTSD).

The functions of the delegation were reorganised in 1965, following acceptance of responsibility for MOD (Navy) procurement in the USA and the transfer to the British Embassy responsibility for staff payments and accounting during that year.

Functions of the delegation:

• questions of financial and economic policy
• procurement of supplies in the United States of America for the United Kingdom and arranging their shipment
• oversight of establishment matters affecting the staff departments in North America ie all those not coming directly under the Diplomatic Service
• Administrative Office (with particular emphasis on the conditions of service of locally-entered staff and their pension arrangements).

(The administrative function function was transferred to the Diplomatic Service Administrative Office in 1973/74).

The head of the delegation also became the Economic Minister of HM Embassy, the United Kingdom Executive Director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Supporting staff included two assistant secretaries, a principal and an economic adviser. The assistant secretaries generally acted as alternate directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Monetary Fund. The delegation also received payment for services rendered to non-exchequer bodies. These services consisted of placing contracts and the provision of shipping services in America on behalf of the Atomic Energy Authority, Medical Research Council, etc.

Following a Rayner review in 1979-1980, responsibility for the procurement and movements sections of the UKTSD passed on 1 April 1981 to the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The title UKTSD was no longer appropriate and was discontinued. The remaining functions of the UKTSD were renamed. The Economic Section became the Economic Department, British Embassy, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) office is now known as the UK Delegation to the IMF and IBRD.