Catalogue description Ministry of Works and successors: Supplies Division: Registered Files (SP Series)

This series contains the registered files of the Supplies Division of the Ministry of Works and successors, and subsequently of the The Crown Suppliers, which was the supplies division of the Property Services Agency. They include policy and case files relating to services, furnishings and equipment for government offices, hospitals, Hampton Court Palace and official residences not on the civil list. The series includes papers of the PSA Supplies Division Board meetings, on the Rayner review of procurement and contract procedures in 1983 and on the privatisation of the The Crown Suppliers.

The SP series was the most widely used series of registered files held by the Supplies Division. The prefix was used by all Supplies Division sections except Administration, Stores and Transport. It was originally intended for Supplies Division policy papers. The earlier files were mainly concerned with purchasing policy and use of automatic data processing within Supplies Division but later other subjects including non-policy subjects were added. Approximately 90% of files in the series are working files or case files. The series covers a variety of services to the National Health Service, Post Office and other government departments.

Some of the files in this series have been re-registered from the OA, SS, CG, ST and SM series.

Records of the Crown Suppliers Privatisation Unit are in

See also Records created or inherited by the Department of the Environment, and of related bodies, Division within AT

CM 12

Department of the Environment, Supplies Division, 1970-1972

Ministry of Public Building and Works, Supplies Division, 1962-1970

Ministry of Works, Supplies Division, 1943-1962

Property Services Agency, Supplies Division, 1972-1984

The Crown Suppliers, 1984-1991

The Crown Suppliers, The Buying Agency, 1989-1991

From 1990 Department of the Environment