Catalogue description Colonial Office and Commonwealth Office: Defence and General Department and successors: Registered Files, General Colonial Policy (GEN Series)

This series contains registered files of the Defence and General Department and successors on general subjects affecting more than one colony, which were not allocated to other subject departments.

Subjects handled by the General departments include: war graves and memorials in the colonies; war pensions; constitutional questions and colonial legislation; ceremonial matters, flags and precedence; consular matters; the deportation of UK and colonial citizens from foreign countries; passports and visas; colonial development; immigration into the UK and emigration; dangerous drugs; and a small amount of miscellaneous international business, including papers for Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conferences.

Colonial Office, Aden and General Department, 1959-1961

Colonial Office, Defence and General Department, 1948-1955

Colonial Office, General Department, 1955-1961

Colonial Office, International Relations and General Department, 1961-1966

Commonwealth Office, International and General Department, 1966-1968

From 1981 Foreign and Commonwealth Office