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 2851 - 2900 of 3726

Per page:

File name	File title	Begins	Ends	Release date	Any docs withheld?	Classification	Pages
PREM19/2927	Commonwealth (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 1989) (Part 16)	Begins: 1989 Oct 1	Ends: 1990 Oct 24	Date of release: 2017 Jul 20	Any docs withheld? 3	Classification: Secret	Pages: 310
PREM19/2928	Comoros (UK/Comoros relations)	Begins: 1987 Jun 5	Ends: 1990 Oct 16	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2931	Defence (Defence sales) (Part 12)	Begins: 1989 Mar 3	Ends: 1990 Feb 27	Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/2932	Defence (Future UK defence policy) (Part 4)	Begins: 1989 Apr 11	Ends: 1990 Jul 28	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2934	Defence (War widows' pensions)	Begins: 1979 Nov 1	Ends: 1990 Apr 3	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 97
PREM19/2935	Defence (Procurement of weapon systems) (Part 8)	Begins: 1990 Jan 18	Ends: 1990 Jul 30	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 10	Classification: Secret - UK Eyes A	Pages: 182
PREM19/2937	Defence (Prime Ministers seminar on defence questions, Chequers, 30 September 1989)	Begins: 1989 Jul 4	Ends: 1990 Jan 8	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2938	Defence (Service exercises to test the transition to war and home defence procedures: Ministerial participation in NATO exercises)	Begins: 1979 Jul 25	Ends: 1990 Nov 26	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Secret - UK Eyes A	Pages: 94
PREM19/2939	Downing Street (Functions of the Prime Minister's Office)	Begins: 1987 Jun 2	Ends: 1990 Mar 26	Date of release: 2017 Jul 20		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 49
PREM19/2940	Drugs (Drugs) (Part 5)	Begins: 1989 Dec 8	Ends: 1990 Apr 17	Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/2941	Economic Policy (Brandt Commission memorandum 'Common Crisis': 'Facing One World', report by an Independent Group on Financial Flows to Developing Countries) (Part 5)	Begins: 1983 Jan 27	Ends: 1990 Sep 4	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2942	Economic Policy (Budget) (Part 19)	Begins: 1989 Dec 6	Ends: 1990 May 17	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2943	Economic Policy (Domestic monetary policy) (Part 21)	Begins: 1989 Sep 5	Ends: 1990 Apr 23	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 441
PREM19/2944	Economic Policy (Strategy) (Part 28)	Begins: 1987 Dec 31	Ends: 1990 Sep 28	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2945	Economic Policy (G7 Summit - Houston, July 1990) (Part 30)	Begins: 1989 Dec 21	Ends: 1990 Aug 20	Date of release: 2017 Jul 20	Any docs withheld? 6	Classification: Secret	Pages: 414
PREM19/2946	Economic Policy (Inland Revenue: PAYE computer project; International Computers Limited (ICL)) (Part 3)	Begins: 1984 Apr 6	Ends: 1990 Apr 30	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2947	Economic Policy (Reform of personal taxation; taxation of individuals) (Part 4)	Begins: 1987 Jul 6	Ends: 1990 Mar 19	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Secret	Pages: 293
PREM19/2948	Economic Policy (Prime Minister's bilaterals with the Chancellor of the Exchequer) (Part 3)	Begins: 1988 Sep 2	Ends: 1990 Nov 15	Date of release: 2017 Jul 20	Any docs withheld? 3	Classification: Secret	Pages: 195
PREM19/2949	Economic Policy (Public spending) (Part 44)	Begins: 1990 Jan 5	Ends: 1990 Aug 28	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 285
PREM19/2950	Economic Policy (Review of policy on film finance: Prime Minister's seminar for the British Film Industry, 15 June 1990) (Part 2)	Begins: 1990 Mar 16	Ends: 1990 Jun 18	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2952	Economic Policy (Pay Review Body reports) (Part 10)	Begins: 1989 Jan 4	Ends: 1990 Jan 31	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2953	Economic Policy (Venture capital)	Begins: 1981 Jun 8	Ends: 1990 May 24	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2954	Education (General policy on education) (Part 23)	Begins: 1990 Jan 9	Ends: 1990 Feb 23	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2955	Education (General policy on education) (Part 24)	Begins: 1990 Mar 1	Ends: 1990 Mar 30	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2956	Education (General policy on education) (Part 25)	Begins: 1990 Apr 2	Ends: 1990 May 29	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2957	Education (General policy on education) (Part 26)	Begins: 1990 Jun 1	Ends: 1990 Nov 16	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 320
PREM19/2958	Education (Student loans) (Part 3)	Begins: 1990 Jan 10	Ends: 1990 Apr 4	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 41
PREM19/2959	Education (Teachers' pay) (Part 12)	Begins: 1989 Jun 13	Ends: 1990 Sep 13	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2960	Education (Tuition fees for overseas students)	Begins: 1980 Jun 4	Ends: 1990 Aug 2	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2961	El Salvador (Internal situation: UK/El Salvador relations) (Part 1)	Begins: 1981 Dec 1	Ends: 1990 Jan 22	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Secret	Pages: 300
PREM19/2962	Energy (Energy policy: nuclear power; fast reactor programme) (Part 13)	Begins: 1988 Jun 1	Ends: 1990 Aug 28	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2963	Environmental Affairs (Ban on trading in ivory)	Begins: 1989 Jun 14	Ends: 1990 Mar 27	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 34
PREM19/2964	Environmental Affairs (North Sea Conference)	Begins: 1984 Oct 31	Ends: 1990 Jul 4	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Confidential	Pages: 143
PREM19/2965	Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; Environmental Protection Bill) (Part 13)	Begins: 1989 Dec 1	Ends: 1990 Jan 31	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 205
PREM19/2966	Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; environmental objectives and land use planning) (Part 14)	Begins: 1990 Feb 6	Ends: 1990 Feb 28	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 2	Classification: Confidential	Pages: 223
PREM19/2967	Environmental Affairs (Environmental pollution: climate change; Environment White Paper) (Part 15)	Begins: 1990 Mar 1	Ends: 1990 Apr 30	Date of release: 2017 Jul 20		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 296
PREM19/2968	Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; Environment White Paper) (Part 16)	Begins: 1990 May 1	Ends: 1990 Jun 29	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 191
PREM19/2969	Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; Environment White Paper) (Part 17)	Begins: 1990 Jul 2	Ends: 1990 Aug 30	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 215
PREM19/2971	Environmental Affairs (World Commission on Environment and Development: Bergen Conference 'Action for a Common Future', May 1990)	Begins: 1988 Jul 5	Ends: 1990 Feb 14	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 98
PREM19/2972	Environmental Affairs (The litter problem in the UK: Environmental Protection Bill) (Part 2)	Begins: 1989 May 4	Ends: 1990 Jul 26	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 286
PREM19/2973	European Policy (Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)) (Part 19)	Begins: 1988 Apr 5	Ends: 1990 Apr 30	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2974	European Policy (European Community budget: developments in the European Community) (Part 44)	Begins: 1989 Nov 30	Ends: 1990 Feb 28	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2975	European Policy (European Community budget: developments in the European Community) (Part 45)	Begins: 1990 Mar 2	Ends: 1990 Apr 27	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2976	European Policy (European Community budget: developments in the European Community) (Part 46)	Begins: 1990 May 1	Ends: 1990 Jun 29	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2977	European Policy (European Community budget: developments in the European Community) (Part 47)	Begins: 1990 Jul 2	Ends: 1990 Oct 31	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2978	European Policy (Proposal for a Conference on Security and Cooperation in the Mediterranean)	Begins: 1990 Oct 8	Ends: 1990 Oct 19	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2979	European Policy (Special European Council meeting in Rome, October 1990) (Part 37)	Begins: 1989 Dec 18	Ends: 1990 Nov 7	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 2	Classification: Secret	Pages: 166
PREM19/2980	European Policy (Special European Council meeting, Dublin, April 1990; European Council meeting, Dublin, June 1990) (Part 36A)	Begins: 1990 Feb 16	Ends: 1990 Jul 13	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2981	European Policy (European Council meeting, Dublin, June 1990: briefing papers)	Begins: 1990 Jun 19	Ends: 1990 Jun 21	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2982	European Policy (European Monetary System (EMS): economic and monetary union) (Part 6) [part 5 is PREM19/3741]	Begins: 1989 Nov 16	Ends: 1990 Apr 30	Date of release: 2016 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 393

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