Puneet Varma (Editor)

Ministry of Power (United Kingdom)

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Formed
  
11 June 1942

Superseding agency
  
Ministry of Technology

Dissolved
  
6 October 1969

Jurisdiction
  
United Kingdom

Preceding agencies
  
Board of Trade Ministry of War Transport Secretary for Petroleum Secretary for Mines

The Ministry of Power was a United Kingdom government ministry dealing with issues concerning energy.

The Ministry of Power (then named Ministry of Fuel and Power) was created on 11 June 1942 from functions separated from the Board of Trade. It took charge of coal production, allocation of fuel supplies, control of energy prices and petrol rationing. These had previously been dealt with by the Secretary for Mines and in the case of petroleum since 1940 by the Secretary for Petroleum. It also took over responsibility for electricity from the Ministry of War Transport.

The Ministry of Fuel and Power was renamed the Ministry of Power in January 1957. The Ministry of Power later became part of the Ministry of Technology on 6 October 1969, which merged into the Department of Trade and Industry on 20 October 1970. The DTI later became the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory reform.

Those who worked at the Ministry include:

  • Arthur Boissier, Director of Public Relations (1943–1945) and formerly Headmaster of Harrow School.
  • Maurice Bridgeman, Principal Assistant Secretary in the Petroleum Division (1944–1946).
  • Sir Donald Fergusson, Permanent Secretary (1945–1952).
  • John Maud, later Lord Redcliffe-Maud, civil servant (1952–1958).
  • Harold Wilson, Director of Economics and Statistics (1943–1944) and later Prime Minister.

    • References

    Ministry of Power (United Kingdom) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA