Catalogue description Establishments Divisions

In the Treasury reorganisation of 1919 the work relating to supply and establishments was split into separate departments. The Establishment Department succeeded a short lived Establishments Division set up in response to a recommendation of the Haldane Committee, which had reported in January of that year.

Of the establishment divisions in 1919, 8D and 9D dealt with general Civil Service staff and pay questions while 11D and 12D dealt with establishment questions relating to specific government departments. A fifth division (10D), dealing with Whitley Councils, was abolished in March 1921, its work being transferred, and a new division with that number relating to the defence departments was formed in July 1922. By 1927 an additional establishment division (9D) had been formed which was responsible for both supply and establishment work and this, together with the allocation of certain supply work to 11D, represented a reversion to mixed divisions dealing with both aspects of Treasury work.

Following the report of the Treasury Organisation Committee in 1937 (see T 199/50C ), from April 1938 there was a further amalgamation of supply and establishment work with the creation of mixed divisions relating to functional areas of governmental activity, which were thereafter known by name instead of number and letter. There were three general establishment divisions. This system remained, with changes (for details of which see series level descriptions) until 1962. Of particular note, however, and reflecting the development of modern management techniques are the creation of the Organisation and Methods Division in 1941 and Training and Education Division in 1945.

In the reorganisation of 1962 establishment and management functions went to the Pay and Management Groups, which were absorbed into the Civil Service Department in 1968.