Catalogue description Cabinet Office: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Registered Files (Y Series)

The Conservative Administration of Edward Heath which came to power in June 1970 was committed to press an application to join the European Economic Community. On 28 July 1970 Geoffrey Rippon was appointed as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister in charge of negotiations with the Community. The negotiations were conducted by a small inter-departmental team of officials chaired by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Chancellor reported to the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary.

After agreement on entry terms had been reached the Chancellor of the Duchy's office moved in September 1971 from the FCO to the Cabinet Office, to pilot the accession legislation through Parliament.

Following the agreement on entry terms the UK was routinely consulted on all Community business and the European Unit was constituted in the Cabinet Office to co-ordinate the UK government response; and in the latter half of 1972 the European Secretariat was established, to discharge the normal Cabinet Office inter-departmental co-ordination functions arising out of full Community membership effective from 1 January 1973.