Catalogue description Ministry of Food: Establishment Department

The Establishment Department under the Director of Establishments was concerned with the structure and organisation of the Ministry of Food and with the methods used in carrying out the ministry's work. It was also responsible for the provision and maintenance of an adequate staff. The organisation of the department varied during the years of its existence, but generally consisted of four or five divisions each handling certain aspects of the work under the following main headings of: conditions of service; personnel and complement; divisional and local organisation; organisation and methods and office control and common services. There was also a small secretariat which acted as a focal point and provided a secretarial service for committees of general interest to the department.

During the Second World War, an Establishment Section was set up at Oxford to service the Potato and Carrot (Finance) Division. This was an outpost of the Establishment Department, and was organised on the same functional basis as the headquarters to which it reported.