Catalogue description Records of the Health and Social Work Divisions

In April 1969 the Welsh Office took over responsibility for the health and welfare services in Wales from the Department of Health and Social Security.

Following the reorganisation of central government, announced in October 1970, responsibilities for child care functions in Wales, apart from responsibilities for adoption, juvenile courts and delinquency were transferred from the Home Office in January 1971. From the latter date the Welsh Office was also given a share in the administration of the urban programme of grants to areas of acute social deprivation and from April 1973 it also took over the powers previously exercised in Wales by the Home Office in relation to child adoption.

In April 1974 the administrative structure of the national health service in Wales was reorganised in two tiers under the provisions of the National Health Service (Reorganisation) Act 1973. Centrally, the Secretary of State for Wales has responsibility for health services through the Health and Social Work Department of the Welsh Office, while eight area health authorities, whose areas are coterminous with the Welsh counties, bear responsibility for the day-to-day running of the services.