In September 1974, a briefing paper was prepared for the Cabinet Secretary to go over with the Prime Minister on the first day.
It sounds like the start of an episode of the A-Team. In a way, I suppose it is, since it is the list of things the Head of the Home Civil Service goes through with a new Prime Minister. I particularly liked the juxtaposition of these two items:
- Obtain assurance about the return of documents by outgoing ministers or that they are taken over by the incoming Minister
- Brief PM on nuclear release procedures and ‘last resort’, and appoint two nuclear deputies
arbitrary constant 