Department of Trade

A committee, known as the Board of Trade since 1786, adopted the title officially by an Act of Parliament of 1861 and, assuming more of an executive and less of a consultative role, dealt increasingly with domestic matters, from the 1840s given a range of regulatory duties in the economic sphere under various Acts of Parliament. During the 19th and 20th centuries the Board acquired many new responsibilities and, although several were later transferred to other government departments, its duties remained numerous, especially during wartime. By the 1960s it had general responsibility for commerce, industry and overseas trade, and in particular commercial relations with other countries. The Board's functions altered frequently during administrative reorganisations of the 1960s, losing and regaining responsibilities from other ministries. In 1970 the Board was merged with the Ministry of Technology to form the Department of Trade and Industry.