DFID historical background

Introduction | Ministers | DFID and the UK Government

Introduction

The UK Government’s responsibility for the development of its colonies on a continuing basis was first recognised in 1929 by the Colonial Development Act. Under this Act the amount voted by Parliament in any one year, over a period of ten years, was not to exceed £1 million. In 1961 a Department of Technical Co-operation was established to deal with the technical co-operation side of the aid programme.The Ministry of Overseas Development was first set up as a separate ministry in October 1964 headed by a Minister of Overseas Development. It brought together the functions of the former Department of Technical Co-operation and the overseas aid policy functions of the Foreign, Commonwealth Relations and Colonial Offices and of other government departments.

In 1970 the ministry was dissolved and the functions of the Minister of Overseas Development were transferred to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Overseas development work was then carried out by the Overseas Development Administration (ODA) as a functional wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In May 1974 the Government announced that the ODA was once again to be a separate ministry, as the Ministry of Overseas Development, under its own minister. However, in November 1979 the ministry again became the Overseas Development Administration (ODA) as a functional wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In 1997 the ODA was replaced by the Department for International Development, headed by a Secretary of State with cabinet rank, assisted by (from June 2003) a Minister of State and (from June 2007) three Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State. The Secretary of State for International Development is formally responsible to Parliament for DFID.

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Ministers

Department of Technical Co-operation

Secretary (ranks as Minister of State): Rt Hon Dennis Vosper (June 1961-May 1963); Rt Hon Robert Carr (May 1963-Oct 1964)

Ministry of Overseas Development

Minister of Overseas Development: Rt Hon Barbara Castle (Oct 1964-Dec 1965); Rt Hon Anthony Greenwood (Dec 1965-Aug 1966); Rt Hon Arthur Bottomley (Aug 1966-Aug 1967); Rt Hon Reg Prentice (Aug 1967-Oct 1969); Rt Hon Judith Hart (Oct 1969-June 1970); Rt Hon Richard Wood (June-Nov 1970)

Overseas Development Administration

Minister for Overseas Development: Rt Hon Richard Wood (Nov 1970-Mar 1974)

Ministry of Overseas Development

Minister of Overseas Development: Rt Hon Judith Hart (March 1974-June 1975)

Minister for Overseas Development: Rt Hon Reg Prentice (June 1975-Dec 1976); Frank Judd (Dec 1976-Feb 1977); Rt Hon Judith Hart (Feb 1977-May 1979)

Overseas Development Administration

Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Minister for Overseas Development: Rt Hon Neil Marten (May 1979-Jan 1983); Rt Hon Timothy Raison (Jan 1983-Sept 1986); Rt Hon Christopher Patten (Sept 1986-July 1989); Rt Hon Lynda Chalker (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey from April 1992) (July 1989-May 1997)

Department for International Development

Secretary of State for International Development (Cabinet rank): Rt Hon Clare Short (May 1997-May 2003); Baroness Amos (May 2003-October 2003); Hilary Benn (October 2003-June 2007); Douglas Alexander (from June 2007).

Minister of State for International Development: Hilary Benn (May 2003 - October 2003)

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development: George Foulkes (May 1997-Jan 2001); Chris Mullin (Jan-June 2001); Hilary Benn (June 2001-May 2002); Sally Keeble (May 2002-June 2003); Gareth R Thomas (from June 2003)

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Useful Links

• Reforming Development Assistance: Lessons from the UK Experience (Owen Barder, Center for Global Development, October 2005)

Last updated: 4 July 2007

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