CABINET PAPERS

Complete Classes from the CAB & PREM Series in the Public Record Office

Series Three: CAB 128 & CAB 129 Cabinet Conclusions & Cabinet Memoranda,
1945 and following

Part 2: The Attlee Government, August 1945-October 1951 (CAB 128/ 14-22 & CAB 129/ 21-47)

KEY LABOUR MINISTERS, 1945-1951

Prime Minister
Clement Attlee July 1945-October 1951

Lord President of the Council
Herbert Morrison July 1945-March 1951
Viscount Addison March 1951-October 1951

Chancellor of the Exchequer
Hugh Dalton July 1945-November 1947
Sir Stafford Cripps November 1947-October 1950
Hugh T N Gaitskell October 1950-October 1951

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Ernest Bevin July 1945-March 1951
Herbert Morrison March-October 1951

Home Secretary
James Chuter Ede August 1945-October 1951

President of the Board of Trade
Sir Stafford Cripps July 1945-September 1947
James Harold Wilson October 1947-April 1951
Sir Hartley Shawcross April 1951-October 1951

Lord Privy Seal
Arthur Greenwood July 1945-April 1947
Lord Inman April 1947-October 1947
Viscount Addison October 1947-July 1951
Richard Stokes July 1951-October 1951

Lord Chancellor
Viscount Jowitt July 1945-October 1951

Minister of Fuel and Power
Emanuel Shinwell July 1945-October 1947
Hugh T N Gaitskell October 1947-February 1950
Philip J Noel-Baker February 1950-October 1951
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
Viscount Addison July 1945-July 1947
[After July 1947 this position was replaced by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations]

Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
Lord Addison July 1947-October 1947
P J Noel-Baker October 1947-February 1950
P Gordon-Walker February 1950-October 1951

Secretary of State for the Colonies
George H Hall July 1945-October 1946
Arthur Crech Jones October 1946-February 1950
James Griffiths February 1950-October 1951
Philip J Noel-Baker October 1946-October 1947
Arthur Henderson October 1947-October 1951

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
Thomas Williams July 1945-October 1951

Minister of Aircraft Production
John Wilmot August 1945-October 1947
[Post 1946 the functions of this Ministry were transferred to the Ministry of Supply.]

Minister of Civil Aviation
Lord Winster August 1945-October 1946
Lord Nathan October 1946-May 1948
Lord Pakenham May 1948-May 1951
Baron Ogmore June 1951-October1951

Minister of Defence
Albert Alexander December 1946-February 1950
Emanuel Shinwell February 1950-October 1951

Minister of Education
Ellen Wilkinson July 1945-February 1947
George Tomlinson February 1947-October 1951

Minister of Food
Sir Benjamin Smith July 1945-May 1946
John Strachey May 1946-February 1950
Maurice Webb February 1950-October 1951

Minister for German and Austrian Affairs
John B Hynd July 1945-April 1947

Minister of Labour and National Service
George A Isaacs July 1945-January 1951
Aneurin Bevan January-April 1951
Alfred Robens April 1951-October 1951
Minister Without Portfolio
Albert Alexander October 1946-December 1946
Arthur Greenwood April 1947-September 1947

Minister of Health
Aneurin Bevan July 1945-January 1951
Hilary A Marquand January 1951-October 1951

Minister of National Insurance
James Griffiths August 1945-February 1950
Dr Edith Summerskill February 1950-October 1951

Minister of Pensions
Wilfred Paling July 1945-April 1947
John B Hynd April 1947-October 1947
George Buchanan October 1947-July 1948
Hilary A Marquand July 1948-January 1951
George A Isaacs January 1951-October 1951

Minister of State
Philip J Noel-Baker July 1945-October 1946
Hector McNeil October 1946-February 1950

Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations
Arthur Henderson August 1947-October 1947

Minister of State for Economic Affairs
Sir Stafford Cripps September 1947
Hugh Gaitskell February 1950-October 1950

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Kenneth G Younger February 1950-October 1951

Minister of Supply
John Wilmot August 1945-October 1947
George R Strauss October 1947-October 1951

Minister of Town and Country Planning
Lewis Silkin July 1945-February 1950
Hugh Dalton February 1950-1951

Minister of Transport
Alfred Barnes July 1945-October 1951

Secretary for Overseas Trade
Hilary A Marquand August 1945-March 1947
James Harold Wilson March-October 1947
Minister of Works
George Tomlinson August 1945-February 1947
Charles W Key February 1947-February 1950
Richard Stokes February 1950-April 1951
George A Brown May 1951-October 1951

Secretary of State for the Air
Viscount Stansgate July 1945-October 1946
P J Noel-Baker October 1946-October 1947
Arthur Henderson October 1947-October 1951

Secretary of State for Burma
F W Pethick-Lawrence August 1945-April 1947
The Earl of Listowel April 1947-December 1947

Secretary of State for India
F W Pethick-Lawrence August 1945-April 1947
The Earl of Listowel April 1947-August 1947

Secretary of State for War
John J Lawson July 1945-October 1946
Frederick J Bellenger October 1946-October 1947
Emanuel Shinwell October 1947-February 1950
John Strachey February 1950-October 1951

Secretary of State for Scotland
Joseph Westwood July 1945-October 1947
Arthur Woodburn October 1947-February 1950
Hector McNeil February 1950-October 1951

Paymaster-General
Arthur Greenwood July 1946-March 1947
Hilary A Marquand March 1947-July 1948
Lord Addison July 1948-April 1949
Lord MacDonald of Gwaenysgor April 1949 - October 1951

Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
William Whiteley August 1945-October 1951

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
John B Hynd July 1945-April 1947
Lord Pakenham April 1947-June 1948
Hugh Dalton June 1948-February 1950
Viscount Alexander February 1950-October 1951

Attorney-General
Sir Hartley Shawcross August 1945-April 1951
Sir Frank Soskice April 1951-October 1951
Postmaster-General
Earl of Lisowel July 1945-April 1947
Wilfred Paling April 1947-February 1950
Ness Edwards March 1950-October 1951

Solicitor-General
Sir Frank Soskice August 1945-April 1951
Arwyn Ungoed-Thomas April 1951-October 1951

First Lord of the Admiralty
Albert Alexander July 1945-October 1946
Viscount Hall October 1946-May 1951
Lord Pakenham May 1951-October 1951

< Back