Navy Department (Ministry of Defence)

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Navy Department
United Kingdom
Department overview
Formed1964–1997
Preceding Department
DissolvedActive
Jurisdiction United Kingdom
HeadquartersMinistry of Defence, Whitehall, London
Department executives
  • * Minister of Defence for the Royal Navy (1964–1967)
    • Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy (1967–1981)
    • Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (1981–1990)
    • Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (1991–1997)
    • *
      First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
      , (1964–1997)
Parent departmentMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Navy Department was a former ministerial service department of the British Ministry of Defence responsible for the control and direction of His Majesty's Naval Service. It was established on 1 April 1964 when the Admiralty was absorbed into a unified Ministry of Defence, where it became the Navy Department. Political oversight of the department originally lay with the Minister of Defence for the Royal Navy (1964-1967) it then passed to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy (1967–1981), then later to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (1981-1990), and finally the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (1991–1997).[1][2][3]

The departments military head was the

First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
, (1964–1997) who was responsible for the day to day superintendence of the department. Following restructuring in 1997 the Navy Department as a ministerial department of the Ministry of Defence was abolished and following restructuring within the MOD the previous department became an operational grouping Ministry of Defence (Royal Navy) later called Ministry of Defence (Navy).

History

In 1959 the newly appointed

Admiralty, Air Ministry, War Office and recommended their staff and functions be absorbed into a new but enlarged Ministry of Defence, as separate Air, Army and Navy Departments but under the control of the new Defence Council and administered by the Defence Board (committee) and Defence Secretariat. On 1 April 1964 the Admiralty was absorbed in the unified Ministry of Defence, where it became the Navy Department.[4][5]

The new unified ministry marked the start of a period which saw increasing pressure to improve efficiency and increase the effectiveness of the administrative functions of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence. It was mostly organised on a joint rather than an 'integrated' or 'functional' basis in that sections of the Naval, Army and Air Staffs with similar responsibilities remained separate within their own departments, but were brought together in joint committees. The new organisation included three ministers of state who headed and implemented policy within the Navy, Army and Air Departments. The

civil servant the Second Permanent Under-Secretary for the Royal Navy.[7]

In 1967 saw a re-organisation of the ministry aimed at moving towards a functional rather than service based structure. The three single service ministerial posts were replaced by two functional ministerial positions: Minister of Defence (Administration) (1967–1970) responsible for managing personnel and logistics for the entire defence establishment. He was assisted by Chief Adviser, Personnel and Logistics.

Minister of Defence (Equipment) (1967–1970) responsible for managing research, development, production, procurement and sales. He was assisted by Chief Adviser (Projects), formerly the Chief Scientific Adviser.[8] The positions of Head of Defence Sales and Deputy Under Secretary of State (Equipment) were created to assist the Minister of Defence (Equipment) in general questions of research and development, procurement and production and sales.[7][9]

The three single service departments, second permanent under secretaries were replaced by two functional second permanent under secretaries, for administration and equipment, and ministerial responsibility for the single service departments was delegated to the parliamentary under secretaries of state. The Navy Department was then brought under the control of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy. During the previous six years there had been a shift to a more centralised Ministry of Defence and gradually moving accountability away from the single service departments. In 1970 the Heath ministry moved to reverse this trend through the appointment of three single service Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State appointed under one minister of state the Minister of State for Defence (1970–1981).[7]

In May 1981 the office of the Minister of State for Defence was separated and his previous procurement responsibilities led to the creation of a new

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence. In January 1997 the Navy Department as a service department with ministerial oversight ended and integrated into a new operating structure as an organisational grouping "Ministry of Defence (Royal Navy)", along with "Ministry of Defence, (Army)", "Ministry of Defence, (Airforce)", and "Ministry of Defence, (Staffs)".[10][11]
In 2005 the grouping "MOD (Royal Navy)" was changed to "MOD (Navy)".

During this period of transition the majority of directorates from the previous department remained under supervision of the

Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command (Royal Navy).[17] Navy Command is currently the Top Level Budget (holder) for the Royal Navy.[18]

Ministers

This first office holders role was a continuation of the former

Civil Lord of the Admiralty after 1967 his role was elevated and he became the chairman of the admiralty board.[19]

No. Post Holder Period Notes Ref
1. Minister of Defence for the Royal Navy 1964–1967 (Member of the
Admiralty Board
[20]
2. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy 1967–1981 (Member of the Defence Council [21]
3. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces 1981–1990 (Member of the Defence Council [22]
4. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence 1991–1997 (Member of the Defence Council [23]

Naval staff

Staff [24][25]
No. Post Holder Period Notes
1. First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff 1964–1997 Military head of Navy Department. Leads the Naval Staff and is a Member of Defence Council, Admiralty Board and is Chairman of the
Navy Board
.
2.
Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
1964–1997 Head of navy personnel and administers naval shore establishments and is a Member of the Admiralty Board and
Navy Board
3. Commander-in-Chief Fleet 1964–1997 Leads Fleet Command and is a member of the Admiralty Board and
Chairman of the Navy Board
4.
Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command
1964–1997 Leads Naval Home Command and is member of the Admiralty Board and
Navy Board
5. Controller of the Navy 1964–1997 Leads the Controllers Department and is member of the Admiralty Board and
Navy Board
6.
Chief of Fleet Support
1964–1997 Leads
Navy Board
7. Vice Chief of the Naval Staff 1964–1985 Acts as deputy to the Chief of Naval Staff and is a member of the Defence Council, Admiralty Board and
Navy Board
8. Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff 1964–1968 Acts as deputy to the Chief of Naval Staff and is a member of the Admiralty Board and is
Navy Board
9. Assistant Chiefs of the Naval Staff 1964–1997 Acted as assistants to the Chief of Naval Staff and were members of Admiralty Board and
Navy Board
.

The Assistant Chief's of Naval Staff for the duration of the Navy Departments existence included ACNS, ACNS (Policy), ACNS (Operations), ACNS Operational Requirements, ACNS (Operations and Air) and ACNS (Warfare).

Civil servants

This office holders role was a continuation of the former Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty.

No. Post Holders Period Notes Ref
1. Second Permanent Under-Secretary of State (Royal Navy) 1964–1969 Member of the Defence Council and Admiralty Board. [26]
2. Second Permanent Under- Secretary of State (Administration) 1970–1997 ditto [27][28]

Governance

Executive governance of the Navy Department was managed by several committees usually consisted of the above officials listed to the boards and offices they were appointed to.

No. Committees Period Notes Ref
1. Defence Council 1964–1997 Provides the formal legal basis for the conduct of defence in the UK is chaired by the Secretary of State, and its members are ministers, the senior officers and senior civilian officials [29]
2. Defence Board 1964–1997 Chaired by the Secretary of State and is responsible for top level leadership and management across defence. The Defence Board is the highest committee in the Ministry of Defence (MOD). [29]
3. Admiralty Board 1964–1997 A committee under the Defence Council of the United Kingdom for the administration of the Navy Department. It was originally Chaired by a Minister of State and later Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on behalf of the Secretary of State. It met formally only once a year. [29]
4.
Navy Board
1964–1997 The service executive committee of the Admiralty Board responsible for the day-to-day running of the Royal Navy it did not include Ministers [30]

References

  1. ^ "No. 46444". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 1 January 1975. p. 5. accessed 6 February 2019
  2. ^ "No. 53696". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 11 June 1994. p. 2. accessed 6 February 2019
  3. ^ "UK Shipowners/Managers/Operators". Lloyd's Maritime Directory. 2: 1072. 2006.
  4. .
  5. .
  6. ^ Mallalieu, Sir; Joseph Percival William (1927–1992). "Mallalieu, Sir Joseph Percival William, MP Archive - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Heritage Quay, Huddersfield, England: The University of Huddersfield. Retrieved 7 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ a b c "Records of the Ministry of Defence". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives United Kingdom. 1808–2017. Retrieved 7 February 2019. This article contains some copied content from this source, which is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
  8. .
  9. .
  10. .
  11. .
  12. ^ Civil Service Yearbook 1974 p.104
  13. ^ Civil Service Yearbook 1995 p.125
  14. ^ Civil Service Yearbook 1996 p.137
  15. ^ Civil Service Yearbook 2004 p.95
  16. ^ Civil Service Yearbook 2006 pp.117-120
  17. ^ "CIVILIAN WORKFORCE BY GRADE EQUIVALENCE AND BUDGETARY AR" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. London England: Ministry of Defence, Defence Analytical Services & Advice. p. 5. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  18. .
  19. .
  20. .
  21. ^ "Navy Department: Admiralty Board". The Navy List. London, England: HM Stationery Office. April 1968. p. 522.
  22. .
  23. .
  24. ^ Civil Service Yearbook 1974 pp.104-134
  25. ^ Civil Service Yearbook 1996 pp.137-166
  26. ^ "Records of Secretary's Department:Ministry of Defence, Second Permanent Under-Secretary of State (Royal Navy)'s Department". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Kew, England: The National Archives UK. 1812–1968. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  27. ^ "Navy Department: The Admiralty Board". The Navy List. London, England: H.M.Stationery Office. February 1970. p. 504.
  28. .
  29. ^ a b c "Our governance". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence United Kingdom. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  30. ^ "Royal Navy - Higher Management of The Royal Navy - The Admiralty Board - The Navy Board". www.armedforces.co.uk. R & F Defence Publications. 1982–2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.

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