National Archives document: Official Pouches and Official Dispatch Boxes to Her Majesty’s Ministers delivered day or night.

In my second blog, I have been looking into the Ministerial despatch box and how a Minister is always on standby to receive them, even at their own home and any time (day or night).

Hugh Ahern - Researcher in residence

The Rt. Hon. John Hare

These documents take us back to 1958. A conservative government is in power. The Prime Minister is Harold Macmillan.

Let us focus on The Rt. Hon. John Hare (1911-1982), OBE and MP for Sudbury and Woodbridge. In time he will become the first Viscount of Blakenham. But that is in the future. In January 1958 Hare is appointed Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, where he will remain until 1960.

In the National Archives there are two letters I found particularly interesting. They are letters from A.E Robinson, who was the acting Head Postmaster for Cornhill, Ipswich, Suffolk.

The first letter is dated the 17 April 1958. Robinson writes to Hare about the delivery of the Ministers Official dispatch box. Hare’s letter is titled ‘Official Pouches and Official Dispatch Boxes to Her Majesty’s Ministers’.

In his letter, Robinson restates official Cabinet Office policy. Special Post Office arrangements are in force, writes Robinson, for the immediate delivery of any official pouches (containing Official Ministerial Dispatch Boxes) addressed to ‘Her Majesty’s Ministers’ handed in at the London Southwestern District Post Office.

Robinson solicitously asks Hare that should an official pouch arrive at Ipswich during the early hours of the morning would Hare require immediate delivery to Hare’s home in Little Blakenham. Evidently, Robinson was very keen to ensure that Hare worked on his boxes.

Not wanting to appear overly keen or intrusive, Robinson asked Hare to inform him of any times the pouches and boxes should not be delivered to the Minister’s residence. As Robinson explained to Hare, this was to ensure that the officer in charge of the sorting office was fully aware and able to accommodate the Minister’s working routine.

Hare’s reply to Robinson is the second letter I found in the National Archives. The letter is dated the 21st of April 1958. Hare writes that does not want any official despatch boxes or pouches delivered to his home between 11 p.m. and 9 a.m. The Minister was going to make sure that he got a good sleep and his breakfast. But just in case duty called, Hare stressed at the end of the letter that his instructions can be ignored should Robinson or the officer in charge receive special instructions from the ministry.

What this seemingly boring and commonplace exchange shows is a little of the careful management of making sure that Ministers and their Dispatch Boxes containing the papers that a Minister is required to work on are not kept apart for very long. The humorous take on this appears in the TV comedy classic Yes Minister,

“Paperwork is the religion of the Civil Service”

For Lord Forsyth’s observations on his relationship with his boxes, read his contribution here