Catalogue description Welsh Office: London Office: Registered Files (LO and LOP Series)

The London Office at Gwydyr House, Whitehall, has existed since the inception of the Welsh Office in 1966. It was the location for the Permanent Secretary of State for Welsh Affairs' private office. The Permanent Secretary also had another private office at Cathays Park, Cardiff for when he visited the Cardiff headquarters.

From 1976 a Permanent Secretary's Division was created at Cardiff to coordinate senior and corporate management policy to the Welsh Office emananting from the Permanent Secretary. The London Office continued in parallel with this new Division in its role as a Westminster base for the Permanent Secretary. The Permanent Secretary's Division was discontinued at Cardiff in 1986 when a return to a more simple organisational structure of London and Cardiff Permanent Secretary's offices was reintroduced.

The Permanent Secretary had responsibility in Wales for ministerial functions relating to health and personal social services; education, except for terms and conditions of service of teachers and for student awards; the Welsh language; arts and culture; local government; housing; water and sewerage; environmenal protection; sport; agriculture and fisheries; forestry; land use, including town and country planning; countryside and nature conservation; new towns; ancient monuments and historic buildings; roads; tourism; training and careers service; financial assistance to industry; the Strategic Development Scheme in Wales; the operation of the European Regional Development Fund in Wales and other European Union matters; non-departmental public bodies; civil emergencies; and all financial aspects of these matters, including Welsh support grant. The Permanent Secretary had oversight responsibilities for economic affairs and regional planning in Wales.