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 1801 - 1850 of 5082

Per page:

File name	File title	Begins	Ends	Release date	Any docs withheld?	Classification	Pages
PREM19/1737	Energy (Oil prices: prospects for world oil market; proposed Petroleum Bill; North Sea oil prices; heavy fuel oil prices; oil prices in the longer term) (Part 2)	Begins: 1983 Oct 7	Ends: 1986 Jan 31	Date of release: 2014 Dec 31	Any docs withheld? 4	Classification: Secret and Personal	Pages: 336
PREM19/1738	Energy (Energy policy: nuclear power policy; proposed fast reactor plant at Dounreay; Sizewell Inquiry; fast reactor policy; structure of nuclear industry; international co-operation on fusion; safety in civil nuclear installations and nuclear electricity policy after Chernobyl) (Part 9)	Begins: 1984 Dec 6	Ends: 1986 May 31	Date of release: Retained under Section 3.4
PREM19/1739	Energy (Prime Minister's meeting with Douglas Hogg MP about disposal of nuclear waste)	Begins: 1986 Mar 4	Ends: 1986 Apr 7	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 43
PREM19/1740	Energy (Activities and role of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (AEA))	Begins: 1984 Mar 2	Ends: 1986 Mar 11	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 229
PREM19/1741	Environemntal Affairs (Report on leak at Windscale: policy towards Sellafield; environmental pollution; report on incidence of cancer in west Cumbria; report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment) (Part 1)	Begins: 1980 Jul 28	Ends: 1986 Jul 22	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 266
PREM19/1742	Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: vehicle emissions; acid rain; pollution control; environmental protection) (Part 4)	Begins: 1985 Jun 18	Ends: 1986 Jul 31	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 283
PREM19/1743	Environmental Affairs (The refurbishment of Trafalgar Square)	Begins: 1986 Jun 24	Ends: 1986 Jun 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 4
PREM19/1744	Environmental Affairs (World Conservation Strategy: 'Conservation and Development - the British Approach')	Begins: 1980 Jun 25	Ends: 1986 May 21	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 137
PREM19/1745	European Policy (European Council meeting, The Hague, June 1986) (Part 25)	Begins: 1985 Apr 23	Ends: 1986 Jul 21	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 228
PREM19/1746	European Policy (Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)) (Part 13)	Begins: 1985 Jan 7	Ends: 1986 Mar 19	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 440
PREM19/1747	European policy (Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)) (Part 14)	Begins: 1986 Apr 17	Ends: 1986 Nov 28	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 435
PREM19/1748	European Policy (European Community Budget: HM Government options towards illegal Community budget for 1986) (Part 31)	Begins: 1985 Dec 4	Ends: 1986 Apr 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 410
PREM19/1749	European policy (European Community Budget: UK Presidency; policy after European court judgment on illegally set budget; protection of VAT ceiling and UK abatement) (Part 32)	Begins: 1986 Oct 1	Ends: 1986 Nov 29	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 298
PREM19/1750	European Policy (European Community Budget: report on UK applications for European Regional Development Grants) (Part 33)	Begins: 1984 Oct 1	Ends: 1986 Sep 22	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 362
PREM19/1751	European Policy (European Council meeting, London, December 1986) (Part 23)	Begins: 1985 Jul 15	Ends: 1986 Nov 28	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 271
PREM19/1752	European Policy (European Council meeting, Luxembourg, December 1985) (Part 24)	Begins: 1985 Nov 26	Ends: 1986 Jan 15	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 291
PREM19/1753	European Policy (Visits to UK by Presidents of the European Commission, Gaston Thorn (March 1983 - June 1984) and Jacques Delors (May 1985 - February 1987): meetings with Prime Minister) (Part 2)	Begins: 1983 Feb 15	Ends: 1986 Dec 31	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 212
PREM19/1754	European Policy (Conservative European Reform Group (ERG): meetings with Prime Minister)	Begins: 1980 Dec 11	Ends: 1986 Apr 14	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 102
PREM19/1755	European Policy (European Institute of Public Administration at Maastricht)	Begins: 1981 Nov 19	Ends: 1986 Aug 18	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 17
PREM19/1756	European Policy (European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR): impact of European Court of Human Rights findings on UK domestic law) (Part 1)	Begins: 1980 Nov 12	Ends: 1986 May 15	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 346
PREM19/1757	Foreign Policy (Summary notes on Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) Assessments) (Part 1)	Begins: 1983 Sep 22	Ends: 1986 Jul 29	Date of release: Retained		Classification: Retained Sec 3.4
PREM19/1758	Foreign Policy (Review of the British Council) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Aug 9	Ends: 1986 Jul 21	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 279
PREM19/1759	Foreign Policy (East/West relations) (Part 6)	Begins: 1985 Dec 1	Ends: 1986 Oct 30	Date of release: 2015 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 4	Classification: Secret	Pages: 329
PREM19/1760	France (Anglo-French relations) (Part 3)	Begins: 1985 Jul 4	Ends: 1986 Oct 23	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 3	Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 204
PREM19/1761	France (Internal situation) (Part 2)	Begins: 1982 Feb 5	Ends: 1986 Sep 24	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 290
PREM19/1763	Germany (Internal situation) (Part 2)	Begins: 1982 Oct 1	Ends: 1986 May 30	Date of release:	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 348
PREM19/1764	Germany (Anglo-German relations) (Part 3)	Begins: 1984 Oct 1	Ends: 1986 Sep 22	Date of release:		Classification: Secret	Pages: 306
PREM19/1765	Germany (Prime Minister's meetings with Chancellor Helmut Kohl) (Part 15)	Begins: 1983 Nov 11	Ends: 1986 May 28	Date of release: 2015 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 276
PREM19/1766	Gibraltar (Policy towards Gibraltar: discussions with Spanish under Lisbon and Brussels Agreements) (Part 5)	Begins: 1984 Apr 6	Ends: 1986 Oct 24	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30
PREM19/1767	Government Buildings (The building of an international conference centre on the Broad Sanctuary site and the redevelopment of the Bridge Street and Richmond Yard sites) (Part 2)	Begins: 1983 Mar 16	Ends: 1986 Oct 31	Date of release: 2015 Jul 16	Any docs withheld? 6	Classification: Confidential	Pages: 289
PREM19/1768	Government Buildings (Edward Erdman Surveyors report on the redevelopment of the Bridge Street site)	Begins: 1983 Feb 1	Ends: 1986 Feb 28	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 40
PREM19/1769	Government Machinery (Advisory Council on Applied Research and Development (ACARD)) (Part 4)	Begins: 1986 Mar 5	Ends: 1986 Dec 18	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 280
PREM19/1770	Government Machinery (Crown Agents Tribunal of Enquiry: future of the Crown Agents) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Jun 11	Ends: 1986 Jan 29	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 201
PREM19/1771	Government Machinery (Review of administrative forms) (Part 1)	Begins: 1980 Aug 14	Ends: 1986 Oct 31	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 326
PREM19/1772	Government Machinery (Rayner Scrutiny programme: promotion of efficiency and elimination of waste; White Paper on deregulation) (Part 20)	Begins: 1985 Dec 1	Ends: 1986 May 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 401
PREM19/1773	Government Machinery (Rayner Scrutiny programme: promotion of efficiency and elimination of waste; Efficiency Unit report on 'The Use of Value for Money Targets 1985-86', volume II)	Begins: 1986 Apr 1	Ends: 1986 Apr 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 65
PREM19/1774	Government Machinery (Rayner Scrutiny programme: promotion of efficiency and elimination of waste) (Part 21)	Begins: 1986 Jun 2	Ends: 1986 Oct 31	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 339
PREM19/1775	Government Machinery (Ministerial responsibility for coordinating the presentation of government policies)	Begins: 1983 Nov 28	Ends: 1986 Jul 28	Date of release: 2015 Jul 15	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Secret	Pages: 310
PREM19/1776	Government Machinery (The 70th anniversary of the Cabinet Office)	Begins: 1986 Oct 21	Ends: 1986 Dec 5	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Restricted	Pages: 35
PREM19/1777	Government Machinery (Possible transfer of responsibility for VAT Tribunals from Customs and Excise to the Lord Chancellor: dePartmental responsibility for tribunals)	Begins: 1985 Apr 1	Ends: 1986 Dec 4	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 92
PREM19/1778	Government Machinery (Departmental responsibility for national standards and international trade)	Begins: 1981 Dec 7	Ends: 1986 Oct 22	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 215
PREM19/1779	Government Machinery (Proposed merger of General Electric Company (GEC) and Plessey: possible referral to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission)	Begins: 1986 Jan 17	Ends: 1986 Jun 10	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 19
PREM19/1780	Government Machinery (Non-departmental public bodies (quangos): a Guide for Departments; review programme) (Part 3)	Begins: 1981 Mar 2	Ends: 1986 Jul 31	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 441
PREM19/1781	Government Machinery (Non-departmental public bodies (quangos): review programme) (Part 3)	Begins: 1986 Aug 1	Ends: 1986 Sep 9	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 34
PREM19/1782	Home Affairs (Capital punishment: sentencing policy) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Jul 11	Ends: 1986 Mar 5	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 253
PREM19/1783	Home Affairs (Civil disorder: the Handsworth and Tottenham riots) (Part 3)	Begins: 1985 Oct 4	Ends: 1986 Mar 20	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 3	Classification: Secret	Pages: 98
PREM19/1784	Home Affairs (Prime Minister's seminar on crime prevention, January 1986) (Part 1)	Begins: 1985 Aug 8	Ends: 1986 Mar 20	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 357
PREM19/1785	Home Affairs (Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the proposed take-over of House of Fraser by Lonrho) (Part 2)	Begins: 1986 Jan 15	Ends: 1986 Dec 18	Date of release: 2054 Jan 1
PREM19/1786	Home Affairs (Policy towards the Prison Service: prison manpower; Scrutiny of the Prison Service) (Part 2)	Begins: 1983 Mar 9	Ends: 1986 May 22	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 291
PREM19/1787	Home Affairs (Review of restrictions on shopping hours and Sunday trading: Shops Act 1950) (Part 1)	Begins: 1981 Nov 11	Ends: 1986 Dec 12	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 495

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