Navy Department (Ministry of Defence)

Navy Department
United Kingdom
Department overview
Formed1964–1997
Preceding Department
DissolvedActive
Jurisdiction United Kingdom
HeadquartersMinistry of Defence, Whitehall, London
Department executives
Parent departmentMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Navy Department was a former ministerial service department of the British Ministry of Defence responsible for the control and direction of His Majesty's Naval Service. It was established on 1 April 1964 when the Admiralty was absorbed into a unified Ministry of Defence, where it became the Navy Department. Political oversight of the department originally lay with the Minister of Defence for the Royal Navy (1964–1967) it then passed to the Parliamentary 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 departments military head was the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, (1964–1997) who was responsible for the day to day superintendence of the department. Following restructuring in 1997 the Navy Department as a ministerial department of the Ministry of Defence was abolished and following restructuring within the MOD the previous department became an operational grouping Ministry of Defence (Royal Navy) later called Ministry of Defence (Navy).

  1. ^ "No. 46444". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 1 January 1975. p. 5. accessed 6 February 2019
  2. ^ "No. 53696". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 11 June 1994. p. 2. accessed 6 February 2019
  3. ^ "UK Shipowners/Managers/Operators". Lloyd's Maritime Directory. 2: 1072. 2006.