Catalogue description Records of the Enforcement Branch

Fuel Control came into being in 1939, at the outbreak of War when Statutory Rules and Orders (S.R.O) No.1028 dated 2nd September 1939 gave certain powers of price control to the Secretary of Mines, Board of Trade. In 1941, S.R.O. No.1920 dated 26th November 1941 gave additional authority with regard to rationing fuel supplies. In 1942 the Ministry of Fuel and Power was formed and S.R.O. No.1132 dated 11th June 1942 authorised the transfer of Solid Fuel Control and Rationing to the Minister of Fuel and Power and this continued to be exercised until 1958 when both price control and rationing were abolished.

The Enforcement Branch (initially titled the Investigation and Enforcement Branch) was formed to supervise the enforcement of various control orders relating to the rationing of fuel supplies; these functions had been transferred to the Ministry of Fuel and Power when it was created in 1942. A system of local fuel overseers, who were authorised to initiate proceedings for offences against the orders, worked under regional enforcement officers who were in charge of each of the Ministry's twelve regions. These officers were abolished in 1949.

In 1950 petrol control ended and from that year enforcement of coal control orders was directly under the Ministry. Contraventions of the orders were submitted by inspectors, via regional coal officers to the Enforcement Branch, which in turn instructed the Prosecutions Department of the Treasury Solicitor to initiate legal proceedings on behalf of the Ministry. From January 1957 such prosecutions were undertaken by the Director of Public Prosecutions. From the expertise it acquired in examining these cases, the Enforcement Branch co-ordinated instructions and advice for the regional coal officers and inspectors on all matters affecting enforcement. This included techniques of inspection and investigation and the communication of changes in policy. The Branch was wound up when coal control ended in 1958.