THE TREASURY AS THE CENTRAL DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT, 1919–1939
- 1 December 1983
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Public Administration
- Vol. 61 (4) , 371-385
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1983.tb00532.x
Abstract
Sir Warren Fisher, Permanent Secretary of the Treasury from 1919 to 1939, tried to make the Treasury a ‘general staff’, for all of Whitehall. He was official head of the civil service, and his Department co‐ordinated policy by persuading ministers to decide priorities within a balanced budget. Treasury advice on what policy should be was influential, partly because of the absence of a fully developed Cabinet Office or Prime Minister's Office. Treasury control of expenditure was also necessary to ensure that spending departments conformed to Cabinet decisions on priorities. The Treasury exercised a powerful influence, however, only so long as the Cabinet accepted the financial orthodoxy of balanced budgets.Keywords
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