Catalogue description Home Office: Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Isles of Scilly: Correspondence and Papers

The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man were excluded from the transfer of responsibilities for dependencies of the crown from the Home Office to the Colonial Office in 1801. The Home Secretary remains responsible for relations with the local administrations and legislatures of the islands, for advising the Sovereign on the issue of Orders in Council necessary to give their legislative enactments the force of law, the appointment of lieutenant governors and on the exercise of the prerogative of mercy or the prerogative right to grant leave to appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

The Isles of Scilly form part of the United Kingdom and since 1894 have been administered by a council which has the status and functions of a county council as well as those of a rural district council. The council had dealings with other departments of state, notably the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, as well as the Home Office.