Catalogue description Ministry of Defence: Major Committees: Registered Files

Search within or browse this series to find specific records of interest.

Date range

Details of DEFE 27
Reference: DEFE 27
Title: Ministry of Defence: Major Committees: Registered Files
Description:

This series was created for registered files of major Ministry of Defence committees, although only the Headquarters Organisation committee and its Defence Intelligence Staff subcommittee is currently represented.
Date: 1900-1990
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

Ministry of Defence, Headquarters Organisation Committee, 1969-1974
Physical description: 74 file(s)
Access conditions: Open unless otherwise stated
Immediate source of acquisition:

from 2000 Ministry of Defence
Accruals: Series is accruing
Administrative / biographical background:

The Headquarters Organisation committee under the chairmanship of the Permanent Under Secretary of State was set up in July 1969 to examine the size and shape of the Ministry of Defence and its relationship with Command Headquarters.

It was particularly concerned with improving management and making staff economies by delegating work to Commands, thereby transferring work to the provinces and reducing the number of service and civilian posts in London (a policy known as "rustification"). It set up a number of subcommittees to examine particular areas of work, for example, one reviewed the work of the intelligence staffs in the light of defence policy and intelligence requirements, reporting to the main committee in 1971.

The work of the committee was overtaken by the change of government and the Defence Review in 1974.

Have you found an error with this catalogue description?

Help with your research

How to look for...