Archive

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 2701 - 2750 of 3726

Per page:
File name File title Begins Ends Release date Any docs withheld? Classification Pages
PREM19/2748 Ireland​​​​​​​ (DeLorean sports car project) (Part 2) Begins: 1986 Jun 10 Ends: 1992 Feb 27 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/2750 Japan (UK/Japanese relations: Nissan (UK) exports to Europe; UK-Japan 2000 Group) (Part 8) Begins: 1988 Jul 1 Ends: 1989 Aug 24 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2751 Japan (Lunches at Chequers in honour of Prince Naruhito (1984) and Prince Fumihito (1989)) Begins: 1983 Dec 20 Ends: 1989 Apr 24 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2752 Japan (Prime Minister's visit to Japan, September 1989) (Part 3b) Begins: 1989 Sep 18 Ends: 1989 Nov 10 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2753 Japan (Prime Minister's visit to Japan, September 1989) (Part 3a) Begins: 1989 Apr 27 Ends: 1989 Sep 15 Date of release: Retained Classification: Temporarily retained by Department
PREM19/2755 Legal Procedure (Restrictive practices in the legal profession: legal profession in Scotland) (Part 2) Begins: 1987 Nov 2 Ends: 1989 Mar 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 261
PREM19/2756 Legal Procedure (Review of the legal profession: legal reforms) (Part 3) Begins: 1989 Apr 4 Ends: 1989 Nov 28 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2758 Legal Procedure (The jury system in Britain) Begins: 1988 Oct 27 Ends: 1989 Jan 3 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2759 Legal Procedure (The legal position of the need for the Prime Minister to give evidence in the trial of Ron Brown MP) Begins: 1982 Sep 1 Ends: 1989 Apr 11 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2760 Local Government (Correspondence from Sir John Sainsbury on planning controls: general planning inquiries) (Part 5) Begins: 1988 Feb 2 Ends: 1989 Feb 28 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 301
PREM19/2761 Local Government (Correspondence from Sir John Sainsbury on planning controls: general planning inquiries; proposed Planning Bill) (Part 6) Begins: 1989 Mar 1 Ends: 1989 Aug 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 339
PREM19/2762 Local Government (Relations between central and local government: local authority expenditure) (Part 36) Begins: 1988 Aug 2 Ends: 1989 May 26 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Secret Pages: 415
PREM19/2763 Local Government (Future of the rating system: rating revaluation; Community Charge) (Part 12) Begins: 1989 Jan 6 Ends: 1989 May 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 462
PREM19/2764 Local Government (Future of the rating system: rating revaluation; Community Charge) (Part 13) Begins: 1989 Jun 1 Ends: 1989 Jul 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 355
PREM19/2765 Local Government (Future of the rating system: rating revaluation; Community Charge) (Part 14) Begins: 1989 Aug 1 Ends: 1989 Oct 1 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 324
PREM19/2766 Local Government (Future of the rating system: rating revaluation; Community Charge) (Part 15) Begins: 1989 Oct 2 Ends: 1989 Dec 29 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Secret Pages: 352
PREM19/2767 Local Government (Correspondence with Councillor Paul Beresford, Leader of Wandsworth Council) Begins: 1989 Feb 22 Ends: 1989 Jul 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 55
PREM19/2768 Local Government (Water industry: structural change; privatisation of the water authorities) (Part 6) Begins: 1988 Dec 6 Ends: 1989 Aug 24 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 419
PREM19/2769 Luxembourg (Prime Minister's visits to Luxembourg, October 1979 and April 1989: policy) Begins: 1979 Sep 20 Ends: 1989 Apr 18 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2770 Malaysia (UK/Malaysia relations: meetings with Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia) (Part 3) Begins: 1987 Aug 17 Ends: 1989 Oct 29 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Secret Pages: 299
PREM19/2771 Maldives (Visits to the UK by President Gayoom of the Maldives) (Part 3) Begins: 1981 Aug 10 Ends: 1989 Mar 22 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 75
PREM19/2772 Manpower (Special employment measures: future of the Employment Service; Training and Enterprise Councils; Youth Training Scheme (YTS) review) (Part 21) Begins: 1989 Jan 6 Ends: 1989 Jul 31 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Secret Pages: 372
PREM19/2773 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East) (Part 19) Begins: 1989 Jan 3 Ends: 1989 Nov 29 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 19 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 320
PREM19/2774 Ministers (Rules governing travel by Ministers) (Part 2) Begins: 1982 Apr 6 Ends: 1989 Sep 29 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 33 Classification: Confidential Pages: 279
PREM19/2775 National Health (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)) (Part 2) Begins: 1987 Jan 14 Ends: 1989 Dec 15 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 6 Classification: Secret Pages: 354
PREM19/2776 National Health (Expenditure and efficiency in the National Health Service (NHS): NHS Review; draft White Paper) (Part 19) Begins: 1989 Jan 23 Ends: 1989 Feb 21 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 135
PREM19/2777 National Health (Expenditure and efficiency in the National Health Service (NHS): community care) (Part 21) Begins: 1989 May 2 Ends: 1989 Jun 26 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 290
PREM19/2778 National Health (Expenditure and efficiency in the National Health Service (NHS): community care) (Part 20) Begins: 1989 Mar 2 Ends: 1989 Apr 28 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 355
PREM19/2779 National Health (Expenditure and efficiency in the National Health Service: community care) (Part 22) Begins: 1989 Jul 5 Ends: 1989 Oct 30 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 398
PREM19/2780 National Health (Alcohol policy: reports on alcohol misuse) Begins: 1981 Jun 5 Ends: 1989 Oct 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2781 National Health (John Corrie MP's Bill on Abortion (1979): David Alton's Abortion Bill (1988); abortion policy) Begins: 1979 Jun 5 Ends: 1989 Feb 17 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2782 National Health (Outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Staffordshire: Stafford Hospital Inquiry) Begins: 1988 May 20 Ends: 1989 Jul 18 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2783 Nationalised Industries (Gas and electricity pricing policy: industrial energy policy; privatisation of the electricity supply industry) (Part 16) Begins: 1989 Jan 5 Ends: 1989 Aug 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2784 Nationalised Industry (Gas and electricity pricing policy: privatisation of the electricity supply industry; nuclear power) (Part 17) Begins: 1989 Sep 7 Ends: 1989 Dec 22 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/2785 Nationalised Industries (Shipbuilding policy) (Part 15) Begins: 1988 Oct 4 Ends: 1989 Jul 17 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2786 Nationalised Industries (Nationalised industries pay) Begins: 1980 Sep 4 Ends: 1989 May 16 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 131
PREM19/2787 NATO (NATO's 30th, 35th and 40th anniversaries) Begins: 1979 May 10 Ends: 1989 Mar 23 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2788 NATO (NATO Summits) (Part 3) Begins: 1988 Dec 6 Ends: 1989 Jun 9 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/2789 Netherlands (Visits to UK by Queen Beatrix, November 1982 and January 1989) Begins: 1981 Dec 15 Ends: 1989 Jan 16 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 4 Classification: Confidential Pages: 134
PREM19/2790 New Zealand (Visits to the UK of New Zealand Leaders of the Opposition: David Lange and Jim Bolger) Begins: 1984 Jan 9 Ends: 1989 Aug 7 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2791 Nigeria (Visit to UK by President Babangida, May 1989) (Part 2) Begins: 1989 Mar 8 Ends: 1989 Jun 12 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Secret Pages: 73
PREM19/2793 Parliament (House of Commons procedure: Select Committees) (Part 9) Begins: 1987 Feb 4 Ends: 1989 Mar 7 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/2794 Parliament (Legislative programme) (Part 18) Begins: 1988 Sep 30 Ends: 1989 Sep 29 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2795 Parliament (Mr Speaker's official entertainment) Begins: 1989 Mar 1 Ends: 1989 Mar 6 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Unclassified Pages: 10
PREM19/2796 Parliament (Boundary Commission reviews of Parliamentary constituencies in Wales and the UK) (Part 2) Begins: 1986 Jul 11 Ends: 1989 Jan 18 Date of release: Retained Classification: Temporarily retained by Department
PREM19/2797 Philippines (Proposed state visit by President Marcos: possible visit of President Aquino) Begins: 1983 Feb 7 Ends: 1989 Dec 13 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/2798 Poland (UK/Polish relations: internal situation; economic assistance) (Part 10) Begins: 1988 Feb 8 Ends: 1989 Aug 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2799 Poland (UK/Polish relations: internal situation; economic assistance) (Part 11) Begins: 1989 Sep 1 Ends: 1989 Dec 27 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 6 Classification: Top Secret - Cab One Pages: 430
PREM19/2800 Police (Police pay) (Part 2) Begins: 1985 Mar 1 Ends: 1989 Jul 26 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2801 Prime Minister (Prime Minister's meetings with the Union of Democratic Mineworkers (UDM)) Begins: 1986 Sep 5 Ends: 1990 Jan 9 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
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