Catalogue description Board of Trade and successors: Overseas Projects Group: Registered Files (OPG Series)

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Details of BT 343
Reference: BT 343
Title: Board of Trade and successors: Overseas Projects Group: Registered Files (OPG Series)
Description:

The files in this series are concerned with the establishment of the Board of Trade and its successors and organisation of the Overseas Projects Group (OPG). The files relate to OPG's remit to explore the export potential of various products and to promote UK export activities, in particular large construction projects overseas. There are also files concerned with the export promotion of various industrial sectors:- railways, construction, hospitals, offshore oil and the nationalised industries. The series also contains the records of the Overseas Projects Group Advisory Panel and the Overseas Projects Board.

The opening of the OPG file series coincided with the establishment of OPG as a separate division in November 1968. Some of the files in this series had been originally raised in the EE or XP file series, but were later re-registered into the OPG series. The last files in the OPG series were raised in 1980, coinciding with the replacement of the Export Development Division by the Projects and Export Policy Division.

Includes files re-registered from the XP series: BT 333

Date: 1964-1985
Arrangement:

Former reference order

Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: OPG file series
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

Board of Trade, Overseas Projects Group, 1968-1970

Department of Trade and Industry, British Overseas Trade Board, 1983-1988

Department of Trade and Industry, Overseas Projects Group, 1970-1974

Department of Trade, British Overseas Trade Board, 1974-1983

Department of Trade, Overseas Finance and Planning Division, 1974-1976

Physical description: 247 file(s)
Access conditions: Open
Immediate source of acquisition:

From 1997 Department of Trade and Industry

Accumulation dates: 1968-1980
Selection and destruction information: The files have been selected in accordance with Acquisition Policy Theme 2.1.1.2 Management of the economy and 2.2.1.3 External relations and defence policy. Most of the files are concerned with the policy of the Overseas Projects Group. A small number of illustrative case files have been selected
Accruals: Series is accruing
Administrative / biographical background:

The Overseas Project Group (OPG) was originally set up in January 1968 as part of the Board of Trade's Export and Promotion Division. Its function was to act as a co-ordinating focal point for industry and various government departments concerned with major capital projects overseas. In November of that year it was established as a separate division.

When, in 1970, the Board of Trade was amalgamated with the Ministry of Technology to form the first Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the OPG became the responsibility of the new department. By early 1971, OPG had become a branch of the Overseas Projects and Technology Division, which was renamed, in June 1972, the Overseas Finance and Projects Division. In 1973, this became the Overseas Finance and Planning Division (OFP) and the Overseas Project Group was known as OFP2.

When, in 1974, DTI was divided into the Department of Trade and the Department of Industry, the OPG passed to the newly created Department of Trade. In March 1975 OFP was dissolved but OPG continued with its responsibilities unchanged and reported directly to the Chief Executive of the British Overseas Trade Board. In 1978, OPG became a branch of the Export Development Division and remained so until 1980 when that division was replaced by the Projects and Export Policy Division.

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