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 901 - 950 of 3726

Per page:

File name	File title	Begins	Ends	Release date	Any docs withheld?	Classification	Pages
PREM19/901	Saudi Arabia (Visit to UK by King Khalid of Saudi Arabia, June 1981: talks with Prime Minister)	Begins: 1981 Mar 3	Ends: 1981 Aug 3	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 3	Classification: Confidential	Pages: 145
PREM19/902	Science and Technology (Government procurement of computers and related equipment; Prime Minister’s reception for representatives of the computer industry)	Begins: 1981 Mar 11	Ends: 1982 Feb 15	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 131
PREM19/903	Science and Technology (Higher education and new technologies; manpower and technology transfer; Prime Minister’s lunch for industry representatives)	Begins: 1982 Mar 25	Ends: 1982 Apr 2	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Restricted	Pages: 17
PREM19/904	Science and Technology (Presentation on information technology)	Begins: 1982 Feb 18	Ends: 1982 May 20	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 47
PREM19/905	Scotland (Scottish Milk Marketing Board (SMMB): correspondence with Dr W G Jack about SMMB’s decision to extend the operation of its tanker fleet)	Begins: 1979 Sep 26	Ends: 1982 Jan 22	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 161
PREM19/906	Security (Case of Professor Hugh Hambleton, Canadian citizen and self-confessed Soviet spy)	Begins: 1980 Jun 26	Ends: 1982 Dec 7	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Secret	Pages: 53
PREM19/907	Security (German occupation of the Channel Islands: allegations by Solomon Steckoll against Channel Islands officials)	Begins: 1980 Sep 24	Ends: 1982 Mar 11	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 27
PREM19/908	Security (Information provided to Sunday Times by a former Security Service officer)	Begins: 1982 Jan 24	Ends: 1982 Jan 25	Date of release: Retained Sec 3.4		Classification: Unknown
PREM19/909	Soviet Union (Soviet General Staff Command exercise)	Begins: 1982 Jun 24	Ends: 1982 Jul 15	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 6
PREM19/910	Security (Publication of book by Gordon Welchman (former head of Hut 6) called 'The Hut Six Story' on wartime German Enigma cryptanalysis: reactions of US and UK governments)	Begins: 1982 Apr 30	Ends: 1982 Jul 27	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 8
PREM19/911	Security (Provisional IRA: acquisition of weapons)	Begins: 1982 Aug 26	Ends: 1982 Sep 7	Date of release: Retained Sec 3.4		Classification: Unknown
PREM19/912	Security ('Doomsday Minus Four' by Larry Clark)	Begins: 1982 Jan 14	Ends: 1982 Jan 15	Date of release: Retained Sec 3.4		Classification: Unknown
PREM19/913	Security (Labour Party discussion document on the Security Services)	Begins: 1981 Feb 6	Ends: 1982 Feb 28	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 13
PREM19/914	Security (Concern over leakages of official information to journalists Peter Hennessy and Peter Stothard)	Begins: 1981 Jun 1	Ends: 1981 Jun 5	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 7
PREM19/915	Security (Fire precautions at Chequers; fire in telecommunications room, September 1982)	Begins: 1978 Feb 23	Ends: 1982 Sep 20	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 59
PREM19/916	Security (Resignation of Commander Michael Trestrail, Queen's Police Officer; homosexual relationship with male prostitute; investigation by Lord Bridge of Harwich into security aspects)	Begins: 1982 Jul 19	Ends: 1982 Nov 25	Date of release: 2013 Nov 20		Classification: Secret	Pages: 82
PREM19/917	Security (Security at GCHQ: representations from Nicholas Edwards MP; untimely deaths of two GCHQ employees (Jack Wolfenden in an aircraft accident) and Ernest Peter Brockway (suspected suicide); question of a 'radio ham' who lived for 11 years with a translator at GCHQ)	Begins: 1982 Nov 23	Ends: 1982 Dec 24	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 3	Classification: Secret	Pages: 16
PREM19/918	Security (Activities of Leo Long)	Begins: 1981 Nov 2	Ends: 1982 Mar 23	Date of release: Retained Sec 3.4		Classification: Unknown
PREM19/919	Security (Security at Chequers; reports on break-in (September 1966); mishandled mail (December 1972); Territorial Army exercise (June 1973); low-flying over Chequers (February 1974))	Begins: 1966 Oct 7	Ends: 1982 Oct 18	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 23
PREM19/920	Social services (Uprating of social security benefits) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 May 17	Ends: 1980 Jan 10	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 79
PREM19/921	Social services (Uprating of social security benefits) (Part 2)	Begins: 1980 Jan 22	Ends: 1981 Apr 8	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 176
PREM19/922	Social services (Employers' statutory sick pay scheme)	Begins: 1979 Dec 6	Ends: 1981 Nov 11	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 85
PREM19/923	South Africa (Internal situation; relations with UK) (Part 2)	Begins: 1980 Sep 8	Ends: 1982 Oct 21	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 212
PREM19/924	Soviet Union (Trade relations: credit agreement; uranium enrichment contract; grain sales; controls on strategic exports) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Sep 27	Ends: 1982 Mar 22	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 235
PREM19/925	Soviet Union (Trade relations: credit restrictions; United States sanctions against Siberian pipeline - impact on John Brown Engineering and other European companies; controls on strategic exports) (Part 2)	Begins: 1982 Apr 19	Ends: 1982 Nov 11	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 276
PREM19/926	Soviet Union (Relations between the UK and Soviet Union) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 May 23	Ends: 1982 Apr 5	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 214
PREM19/927	Sport (Sporting relations with Argentina; possible withdrawal of UK teams from Football World Cup 1982)	Begins: 1982 Apr 29	Ends: 1982 Aug 25	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 19
PREM19/928	Trade (UK trading policies; non-tariff barriers; effects on UK industry of open trading system; General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Ministerial meeting) (Part 2)	Begins: 1981 Nov 4	Ends: 1982 Oct 28	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 235
PREM19/929	Trade (Difficulties of textile and clothing industries; closure of mills; low pay in the industry; policy on imports; quota issue) (Part 2)	Begins: 1980 Jun 30	Ends: 1982 Apr 23	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 207
PREM19/930	Trade unions (Trade union education and training: continuance of government grant)	Begins: 1979 Dec 13	Ends: 1982 Mar 1	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 71
PREM19/931	Transport (Railway policy: British Rail pay dispute) (Part 2)	Begins: 1981 Aug 4	Ends: 1982 Feb 9	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 264
PREM19/932	Transport (Railway policy: British Rail pay dispute; investigation into 'flexible rostering' by Railway Staff National Tribunal under Lord McCarthy; railway finances review by Sir David Serpell) (Part 3)	Begins: 1982 Feb 10	Ends: 1982 May 7	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 340
PREM19/933	Transport (Railway policy: British Rail unions' threatened industrial action; contingency planning) (Part 4)	Begins: 1982 May 10	Ends: 1982 Jun 25	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 283
PREM19/934	Transport (Railway policy: British Rail unions' industrial action; contingency planning; McCarthy report on railway productivity and pay; rail fare increases) (Part 5)	Begins: 1982 Jun 28	Ends: 1982 Sep 30	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 265
PREM19/935	Transport (Private finance for trunk road construction)	Begins: 1982 Feb 22	Ends: 1982 May 25	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 37
PREM19/936	Transport (Armitage Report on Lorries, People and the Environment; draft White Paper) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 May 15	Ends: 1982 Sep 30	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 197
PREM19/937	Transport (Fixed Channel Link (Channel Tunnel); economic considerations; discussions with French) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Jul 24	Ends: 1982 Feb 8	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 207
PREM19/938	United Nations (North/South Global Negotiations)	Begins: 1980 Mar 17	Ends: 1982 Jan 8	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 116
PREM19/939	United Nations (Election of United Nations Secretary-General)	Begins: 1981 May 5	Ends: 1982 Feb 8	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 106
PREM19/940	United Nations (Visits to UK by Secretary-General, Kurt Waldheim: meetings with Prime Minister) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 May 23	Ends: 1981 May 13	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 2	Classification: Secret	Pages: 293
PREM19/941	USA (Economic situation in the United States) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 May 15	Ends: 1981 Sep 30	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 275
PREM19/942	USA (Visit to UK by President Reagan, June 1982) (Part 1)	Begins: 1981 Jan 21	Ends: 1982 Apr 30	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 14	Classification: Confidential	Pages: 256
PREM19/943	USA (Visit to UK by President Reagan, June 1982: meetings with Prime Minister) (Part 2)	Begins: 1982 May 5	Ends: 1982 Jul 1	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 8	Classification: Secret	Pages: 227
PREM19/944	USA (Relations between the UK and USA) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 May 4	Ends: 1982 Apr 13	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Secret	Pages: 205
PREM19/945	Vatican (Vatican delegation to Heads of State about nuclear weapons; meeting with Prime Minister)	Begins: 1981 Dec 14	Ends: 1982 Jan 29	Date of release: 2013 Jul 25		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 59
PREM19/946	Zimbabwe (Internal situation; aid; relations with UK)	Begins: 1981 Nov 12	Ends: 1982 Nov 30	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 217
PREM19/947	Aerospace (Application by British Caledonian Airways to operate London-Los Angeles route)	Begins: 1982 Mar 1	Ends: 1982 Mar 11	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 18
PREM19/948	Aerospace (Presentation by Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace to Prime Minister and other Ministers on aerospace)	Begins: 1983 Sep 6	Ends: 1983 Nov 22	Date of release: 2013 Aug 1		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 58
PREM19/949	Agriculture (Role of Home Grown Cereals Authority; appointment of Chairman)	Begins: 1983 Aug 16	Ends: 1983 Nov 11	Date of release: 2013 Aug 1		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 17
PREM19/950	Argentina (Falklands) (Part 32)	Begins: 1982 Dec 1	Ends: 1983 Mar 2	Date of release: 2013 Aug 1	Any docs withheld? 17	Classification: Secret	Pages: 360

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