 | |
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1964–1997 |
| PrecedingDepartment | |
| Dissolved | Active |
| Jurisdiction |  United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | Ministry of Defence,Whitehall,London |
| Department executives |
|
| Parent department | Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) |
TheNavy Department was a former ministerial service department of the BritishMinistry of Defence responsible for the control and direction ofHis Majesty's Naval Service. It was established on 1 April 1964 when theAdmiralty was absorbed into a unified Ministry of Defence, where it became the Navy Department. Political oversight of the department originally lay with theMinister of Defence for the Royal Navy (1964–1967) it then passed to theParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy (1967–1981), then later to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (1981–1990), and finally the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (1991–1997).[1][2][3]
The department's military head was theFirst Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff (1964–1997), who was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the department. Following restructuring in 1997, the individual Navy Department was abolished and its functions were transferred to the new Royal Navy (now Navy) operational branch of the Ministry of Defence.[citation needed]
In 1959 the newly appointedChief of the Defence Staff,Louis Mountbatten, implemented major changes with regards to defence policy one of which was the proposal to abolish the three existing service ministries theAdmiralty,Air Ministry,War Office and recommended their staff and functions be absorbed into a new but enlarged Ministry of Defence, as separate Air, Army and Navy Departments but under the control of the newDefence Council and administered by the Defence Board (committee) and Defence Secretariat. On 1 April 1964 the Admiralty was absorbed in theunified Ministry of Defence, where it became the Navy Department.[4]
The new unified Defence Ministry was a milestone in a period of increasing pressure to improve efficiency and effectiveness of triservice administrative functions. It was mostly organised on a joint rather than an 'integrated' or 'functional' basis in that sections of the Naval, Army and Air Staffs with similar responsibilities remained separate within their own departments, but were brought together in joint committees. The new organisation included three ministers of state who headed and implemented policy within the Navy, Army and Air Departments. TheMinister of Defence for the Royal Navy (1964–1967)[5] had responsibilities across the whole of the defence field for international policy, personnel and logistics, and research development and production, although they did not have executive responsibilities that remained with theSecretary of State for Defence. The Minister of State for the Royal Navy was assisted by aParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy (1964–1981) and acivil servant the Second Permanent Under-Secretary for the Royal Navy.[6]
In 1967 saw a re-organisation of the ministry aimed at moving towards a functional rather than service based structure. The three single service ministerial posts were replaced by two functional ministerial positions: Minister of Defence (Administration) (1967–1970) responsible for managing personnel and logistics for the entire defence establishment. He was assisted by Chief Adviser, Personnel and Logistics.Minister of Defence (Equipment) (1967–1970) responsible for managing research, development, production, procurement and sales. He was assisted by Chief Adviser (Projects), formerly the Chief Scientific Adviser.[7] The positions of Head of Defence Sales and Deputy Under Secretary of State (Equipment) were created to assist the Minister of Defence (Equipment) in general questions of research and development, procurement and production and sales.[6][8]
The three single service departments, second permanent under secretaries were replaced by two functional second permanent under secretaries, for administration and equipment, and ministerial responsibility for the single service departments was delegated to theparliamentary under secretaries of state. The Navy Department was then brought under the control of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy. During the previous six years there had been a shift to a more centralised Ministry of Defence and gradually moving accountability away from the single service departments. In 1970 theHeath ministry moved to reverse this trend through the appointment of three single service Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State appointed under one minister of state the Minister of State for Defence (1970–1981).[6]
In May 1981 the office of the Minister of State for Defence was separated and his previous procurement responsibilities led to the creation of a newMinister of Defence Procurement whilst his former logistical responsibilities were handed over to a newMinister of State for the Armed Forces. At the same time the Under-Secretaries of State for the Army and Royal Air Force together with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy were unified into a single post ofParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces who now had overall responsibility for the three service departments and in 1990 his title was changed toParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence. In January 1997 the Navy Department as a service department with ministerial oversight ended and integrated into a new operating structure as an organisational grouping "Ministry of Defence (Royal Navy)", along with "Ministry of Defence, (Army)", "Ministry of Defence, (Airforce)", and "Ministry of Defence, (Staffs)".[9][10] In 2005 the grouping "MOD (Royal Navy)" was changed to "MOD (Navy)".
During this period of transition the majority of directorates from the previous department remained under supervision of theFirst Sea Lord whilst others were distributed under the Defence Staff) (1964–1995)[11][12] that was later given a new organisational grouping name the "Central Staffs" (1996–2005)[13][14] In 2006 greater accountability and control over budgets, equipment and staffing led to the formation new organisational groups, Central Staffs became Central Top Level Budget (CTLB)[15] whilst Ministry of Defence (Navy) was renamedFleet Top Level Budget. A Top Level Budget (TLB) is a major organisational group of the MOD. In 2010 Fleet Top Level Budget was renamedNavy Command following the merger of theCommander-in-Chief Fleet and theCommander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command (Royal Navy).[16] Navy Command is currently the Top Level Budget (holder) for the Royal Navy.[17]
This first office holders role was a continuation of the formerFirst Lord of the Admiralty though now a non cabinet position who acted as chairman of the admiralty board on behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence. Prior to 1967 the navy departments Parliamentary Under Secretary of State was deputy under the Minister of State at the time his roles establishment it was a continuation of the office of theCivil Lord of the Admiralty after 1967 his role was elevated and he became the chairman of the admiralty board.[18]
| No. | Post Holder | Period | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Minister of Defence for the Royal Navy | 1964–1967 | (Member of theDefence Council and Chairman of theAdmiralty Board | [19] |
| 2. | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy | 1967–1981 | (Member of theDefence Council | [20] |
| 3. | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces | 1981–1990 | (Member of theDefence Council | [21] |
| 4. | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence | 1991–1997 | (Member of theDefence Council | [22] |
| No. | Post Holder | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff | 1964–1997 | Military head of Navy Department. Leads the Naval Staff and is a Member of Defence Council, Admiralty Board and is Chairman of theNavy Board. |
| 2. | Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel | 1964–1997 | Head of navy personnel and administers naval shore establishments and is a Member of the Admiralty Board andNavy Board |
| 3. | Commander-in-Chief Fleet | 1964–1997 | Leads Fleet Command and is a member of the Admiralty Board andChairman of the Navy Board |
| 4. | Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command | 1964–1997 | Leads Naval Home Command and is member of the Admiralty Board andNavy Board |
| 5. | Controller of the Navy | 1964–1997 | Leads the Controllers Department and is member of the Admiralty Board andNavy Board |
| 6. | Chief of Fleet Support | 1964–1997 | LeadsNaval Support Command and is a Member of the Admiralty Board andNavy Board |
| 7. | Vice Chief of the Naval Staff | 1964–1985 | Acts as deputy to the Chief of Naval Staff and is a member of the Defence Council, Admiralty Board andNavy Board |
| 8. | Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff | 1964–1968 | Acts as deputy to the Chief of Naval Staff and is a member of the Admiralty Board and isNavy Board |
| 9. | Assistant Chiefs of the Naval Staff | 1964–1997 | Acted as assistants to the Chief of Naval Staff and were members of Admiralty Board andNavy Board. |
The Assistant Chief's of Naval Staff for the duration of the Navy Departments existence included ACNS, ACNS (Policy), ACNS (Operations), ACNS Operational Requirements, ACNS (Operations and Air) and ACNS (Warfare).
This office holders role was a continuation of the formerPermanent Secretary to the Admiralty.
| No. | Post Holders | Period | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Second Permanent Under-Secretary of State (Royal Navy) | 1964–1969 | Member of the Defence Council and Admiralty Board. | [25] |
| 2. | Second Permanent Under- Secretary of State (Administration) | 1970–1997 | ditto | [26][27] |
Executive governance of the Navy Department was managed by several committees usually consisted of the above officials listed to the boards and offices they were appointed to.
| No. | Committees | Period | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Defence Council | 1964–1997 | Provides the formal legal basis for the conduct of defence in the UK is chaired by the Secretary of State, and its members are ministers, the senior officers and senior civilian officials | [28] |
| 2. | Defence Board | 1964–1997 | Chaired by the Secretary of State and is responsible for top level leadership and management across defence. The Defence Board is the highest committee in the Ministry of Defence (MOD). | [28] |
| 3. | Admiralty Board | 1964–1997 | A committee under the Defence Council of the United Kingdom for the administration of the Navy Department. It was originally Chaired by a Minister of State and later Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on behalf of the Secretary of State. It met formally only once a year. | [28] |
| 4. | Navy Board | 1964–1997 | The service executive committee of the Admiralty Board responsible for the day-to-day running of theRoyal Navy it did not include Ministers | [29] |
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