D 709 2/3 - Labour Party . Minister for the Navy. - 1968-1970
The group D 709 2/3 includes news cuttings, speech transcripts, memoranda, reports and related material connected to David Owen's time as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy, dating from 1968–1970.
| Archive level description: | Sub-series |
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| Physical Description: | 4 items |
| Summary: | The group D 709 2/3 includes news cuttings, speech transcripts, memoranda, reports and related material connected to David Owen's time as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy, dating from 1968–1970. |
|---|---|
| Date: | 1968-1970 |
| Reference Number: | D 709 2/3 |
| Arrangement: | The papers in D 709 2/3 are arranged as follows:D 709 2/3/1 Personal files (c.573 leaves)D 709 2/3/2 Speeches (19 leaves)D 709 2/3/3 Notes and memoranda (9 leaves) |
| Biographical/Administrative Information: | David Owen was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy on 2 July 1968 by Prime Minister Harold Wilson, becoming the youngest member of the Wilson government, and served in this post until the defeat of the Labour government in the June 1970 General Election. Developments in naval policy which he became actively involved in during this period included the withdrawal of British naval forces in South East Asia and the Persian Gulf; the abolition, for safety reasons, of the rum ration issued to naval ratings; the strengthening of Naval air power, to include the use of Harriers with naval cruisers; and the implementation of the Polaris nuclear deterrent programme. As MP for a Plymouth constituency David Owen's role as Navy Minister was particularly relevant; in handling the issue of developing the naval dockyards he was able to fight the closure of Devonport Naval Dockyard and introduce plans for its redevelopment as a nuclear refitting base. |