MT's official files as Prime Minister, 1979-90

MT's official files as PM can be read on this site as they are released, in full and free to all - the confidential files originally stored at No.10, the core record of her premiership.

The files have been copied at the British National Archives (TNA) at Kew in London and can be downloaded precisely as they appear in the reading room.

We are doing something more to help people make sense of this mass of information. The files are subject-based, logically enough, but that system makes it difficult to reconstruct the flow of paper across the Prime Minister’s desk at any point in time, depriving us of a sense of context, of the political cross-winds, some of them overwhelming.

To combat this effect we are uploading a large selection of the most important documents from these files – thousands in total – to our powerful site database. You can search and sort by date, subject and other parameters, getting as close as anyone can now get to reconstructing the Prime Minister’s daily "Red Boxes", the rich diet of foreign and domestic policy papers submitted to her by the No.10 Private Office.

List and links to the PM’s files

Below are links to the downloadable files in numerical order. The subject terms are those used in the original filing system.

An average file has around 200 pages.

You can read here an account of how filing worked at No.10, and the system for archiving MT’s Prime Ministerial papers, both of which had their quirks.

Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Private Office files, 1979-1989

1979-89: Chancellor’s Private Office files [links to hundreds of digitised files from the Chancellorships of Sir Geoffrey Howe and Nigel Lawson]

Engagement Diaries

An alternative way through the material is to read MT’s engagement diaries, jumping day to day.

The engagement diaries link directly to relevant documents in the site database, so this is a good way to recover the perspective from the Red Box.

Showing items 851 - 900 of 3726

Per page:

File name	File title	Begins	Ends	Release date	Any docs withheld?	Classification	Pages
PREM19/851	Nationalised industries (Nationalised industry policy; financial control; objectives; Central Policy Review Staff (CPRS) study of the state monopolies) (Part 7)	Begins: 1982 Jul 1	Ends: 1982 Dec 31	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 242
PREM19/852	Nationalised industries (Gas and electricity pricing policy; gas legislation; industrial energy policy; wage negotiations) (Part 6)	Begins: 1981 Oct 13	Ends: 1982 Oct 11	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 449
PREM19/853	Nationalised industries (Coal mines) (Part 5)	Begins: 1981 Dec 1	Ends: 1982 Feb 10	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 259
PREM19/854	Nationalised industries (Coal mines) (Part 6)	Begins: 1982 Feb 12	Ends: 1982 Sep 8	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 297
PREM19/855	Nationalised industries (Shipbuilding; British Shipbuilders strategy and financing; pay negotiations; privatisation) (Part 3)	Begins: 1980 Dec 3	Ends: 1982 Jul 16	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 132
PREM19/856	Nationalised industries (Prospects for the steel industry; British Steel Corporation (BSC) corporate plan; United States action against European Community steel imports; third country imports) (Part 11)	Begins: 1982 Jan 14	Ends: 1982 Nov 30	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 150
PREM19/857	Nationalised industries (Proposed acquisition by British Steel Corporation of US steel company, Kaiser Steel)	Begins: 1981 Dec 11	Ends: 1982 Nov 8	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 96
PREM19/858	Oman (Prime Minister's visit to Oman, April 1981: follow-up action; military assistance and training charges; aid; credit for defence equipment)	Begins: 1981 Apr 24	Ends: 1982 Mar 10	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 76
PREM19/859	Overseas Aid (Development policy; aid framework 1981-1982 to 1983-1984; UK contribution to International Development Association) (Part 2)	Begins: 1980 Mar 19	Ends: 1982 Mar 31	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 287
PREM19/860	Pakistan (Prime Minister's visit to Pakistan, October 1981)	Begins: 1981 Sep 9	Ends: 1982 Jan 27	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 112
PREM19/861	Parliament (Reform of the House of Lords)	Begins: 1979 Oct 5	Ends: 1982 Nov 17	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 211
PREM19/862	Parliament (Appointment of Parliamentary Private Secretaries) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 May 7	Ends: 1982 Apr 27	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 267
PREM19/863	Parliament (Queen's speeches on prorogation and opening of Parliament; televising the State Opening of Parliament) (Part 4)	Begins: 1981 Oct 26	Ends: 1982 Oct 26	Date of release: Closed until 2023-01-01		Classification: Unknown
PREM19/864	Parliament (Legislative programme 1981-1982 and 1982-1983) (Part 8)	Begins: 1981 Jul 30	Ends: 1982 Feb 25	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 2	Classification: Confidential	Pages: 178
PREM19/865	Parliament (Legislative programme 1982-1983) (Part 9)	Begins: 1982 Mar 1	Ends: 1982 Oct 28	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 118
PREM19/866	Parliament (BBC television series about the Palace of Westminster)	Begins: 1981 Apr 8	Ends: 1982 Aug 4	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 47
PREM19/867	Parliament (Succession to the Crown; Private Member's Bill)	Begins: 1981 Dec 11	Ends: 1982 Apr 16	Date of release: 2013 Jul 25		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 47
PREM19/868	Parliament (Parliamentary discussion of intelligence matters)	Begins: 1982 Dec 15	Ends: 1982 Dec 23	Date of release: 2013 Sep 24		Classification: Secret	Pages: 10
PREM19/869	Parliament (MPs' pay and pensions; Top Salaries Review Body report on Parliamentary pay; report by Select Committee) (Part 4)	Begins: 1980 Dec 3	Ends: 1982 Jul 1	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 165
PREM19/870	Poland (Intelligence)	Begins: 1982 Jan 8	Ends: 1982 Feb 22	Date of release: Retained		Classification: Retained Sec 3.4
PREM19/871	Poland (Internal situation; state of emergency - martial law) (Part 5)	Begins: 1981 Dec 19	Ends: 1982 Jan 5	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 305
PREM19/872	Poland (Internal situation; state of emergency - martial law; possible measures to be taken against Poland and Soviet Union) (Part 6)	Begins: 1982 Jan 6	Ends: 1982 Jan 21	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 230
PREM19/873	Poland (Internal situation; state of emergency - martial law; possible measures to be taken against Poland and Soviet Union; Day of Solidarity with the Polish People) (Part 7)	Begins: 1982 Jan 22	Ends: 1982 Feb 8	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 292
PREM19/874	Poland (Internal situation; state of emergency - martial law; possible measures to be taken against Poland and Soviet Union; Polish debt rescheduling; Polish refugees) (Part 8)	Begins: 1982 Feb 9	Ends: 1982 Oct 19	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 252
PREM19/875	Posts and telecommunications (Future of Post Office: liberalisation of telecommunications monopoly; British Telecom's investment programme; BT and postal tariff increases) (Part 3)	Begins: 1981 Mar 4	Ends: 1982 Mar 16	Date of release: 2013 Sep 24		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 282
PREM19/876	Posts and telecommunications (Future of the Post Office: telecommunications liberalisation and privatisation; British Telecom's financial position and prices; System X) (Part 4)	Begins: 1982 Mar 22	Ends: 1982 Jul 19	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 159
PREM19/877	Posts and telecommunications (Future of the Post Office: telecommunications liberalisation and privatisation; Telecommunications Bill; System X) (Part 5)	Begins: 1982 Jul 12	Ends: 1982 Oct 21	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 145
PREM19/878	Prime Minister (Communications with Jimmy Savile concerning tax deductions for charitable donations following his fund raising for Stoke Mandeville hospital)	Begins: 1980 Feb 5	Ends: 1982 Jan 8	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 4	Classification: Secret	Pages: 22
PREM19/879	Prime Minister (Meeting with delegation of Conservative Friends of Israel)	Begins: 1980 May 1	Ends: 1982 Jul 12	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 31
PREM19/880	Prime Minister (Meeting with George Foulkes MP to discuss closure of Falmers factory in Patna, Scotland)	Begins: 1981 Feb 16	Ends: 1982 Jul 30	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 94
PREM19/881	Prime Minister (Meetings with James Craigen MP to discuss closure of Bryant and May and Metal Box factories in Glasgow)	Begins: 1981 Feb 27	Ends: 1982 Dec 15	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 49
PREM19/882	Prime Minister (Meeting with Sir Siegmund Warburg and Dr Winifried Guth; Anglo-German relations)	Begins: 1981 Mar 10	Ends: 1982 Mar 18	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 28
PREM19/883	Prime Minister (Meetings with Robert Kilroy-Silk MP to discuss closures of factories in his Ormskirk constituency)	Begins: 1981 Mar 5	Ends: 1982 Apr 8	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 36
PREM19/884	Prime Minister (Meetings with Geoffrey Robinson MP to discuss redundancies in Jaguar factories in Coventry)	Begins: 1981 Jun 1	Ends: 1982 Jan 21	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 28
PREM19/885	Prime Minister (Meeting with Allen Adams MP to discuss redundancies at J & P Coats (UK) Ltd mill at Paisley)	Begins: 1981 Nov 24	Ends: 1982 Jan 22	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 27
PREM19/886	Prime Minister (Meeting with Sir Ernest Harrison, Chairman of Racal Electronics Ltd)	Begins: 1981 Oct 30	Ends: 1982 Feb 10	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 19
PREM19/887	Prime Minister (Meeting with Albert Booth MP to discuss closure of Derwest Jennings factory in Barrow-in-Furness)	Begins: 1982 Feb 2	Ends: 1982 Jul 20	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 30
PREM19/888	Prime Minister (Meeting with Daniel Jones MP to discuss Lucas Aerospace redundancies in Burnley)	Begins: 1982 Feb 4	Ends: 1982 Mar 27	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 27
PREM19/889	Prime Minister (Meeting with John Opel, President of International Business Machines (IBM), concerning investment in the UK)	Begins: 1982 May 21	Ends: 1982 Aug 9	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 28
PREM19/890	Prime Minister (Meeting with Robert Adley MP to discuss Prime Minister's visit to Far East)	Begins: 1982 Jul 15	Ends: 1982 Sep 15	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 23
PREM19/891	Prime Minister (Meeting with Hong Kong Association members)	Begins: 1982 Aug 20	Ends: 1982 Sep 27	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 28
PREM19/892	Prime Minister (Meeting with George Turnbull and Anthony Fraser, President and Chairman of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Association, on problems of the UK motor industry)	Begins: 1982 Oct 15	Ends: 1982 Dec 24	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 22
PREM19/893	Prime Minister (Disappearance and rescue of Mark Thatcher in Algeria during Paris to Dakar car rally)	Begins: 1981 Dec 17	Ends: 1982 Sep 13	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 104
PREM19/894	Prime Minister (Closure of British Aluminium Company's smelter at Invergordon; meeting with Lord Plowden; proposals for a restart; proposed new power contract) (Part 1)	Begins: 1981 Dec 4	Ends: 1982 Mar 19	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 193
PREM19/895	Prime Minister (Closure of British Aluminium Company's smelter at Invergordon: proposals for a restart; proposed new power contract; government assistance) (Part 2)	Begins: 1982 Mar 22	Ends: 1982 Jul 28	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 93
PREM19/896	Rhodesia (Sir Roy Welensky, former Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland)	Begins: 1979 Oct 31	Ends: 1982 Oct 28	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Secret	Pages: 61
PREM19/897	Royal family (Duchy of Cornwall Management Bill)	Begins: 1981 Jun 22	Ends: 1982 Jun 24	Date of release: 2014 Feb 14		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 29
PREM19/898	Royal family (Prime Minister's Audiences with the Queen) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 May 8	Ends: 1982 Feb 9	Date of release: 2013 Dec 6	Any docs withheld? 147	Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 105
PREM19/899	Royal family (Civil List) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Jun 7	Ends: 1982 Mar 23	Date of release: Retained		Classification: Unknown
PREM19/900	Saudi Arabia (Visit to UK by Shaikh Hisham Nazer, Saudi Minister of Planning: call on Prime Minister)	Begins: 1982 Jan 8	Ends: 1982 Mar 2	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 14

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