Zuckerman Archive: Ministry of Works Scientific Advisory Committee; Ministry of Works Advisory

Covers the whole range of the business of the Ministry of Works Scientific Advisory Committee and its successor, the Ministry of Works Advisory Council on Building and Civil Engineering Research and Development, and the activities of certain sub-committees, panels, and working parties.

File SZ/MOW/4 Building Industry Sub-Committee, 1945-48, includes papers of the Processes Panel, 1945-47, Human Efficiency Panel, 1945-47, and Costs and Economics Panel, 1945-47. Solly Zuckerman was a member of the Sub-Committee and attended about half of its meetings. He was also a member of the Processes Panel but appears to have attended only one meeting, the fourth on 10 July 1946.

File SZ/MOW/6 Building Requirements Sub-Committee, 1945-1950, includes papers of the Domestic Accidents Panel, 1946-1950, Social Survey Panel (including Working Party on Social Surveys), 1946-48, and Panel for Experimental Houses, 1945-47. Solly Zuckerman was a member of the Sub-Committee and attended the majority of its meetings.

Sub-file SZ/MOW/6/4 Social Survey Panel (including Social Survey Working Party), 1946-48, contains two sub-sub-files. The Working Party on Social Surveys was set up in February 1946, with Frank Yates in the chair. A month later, in the light of the Working Party's report of 26 February 1946, the Social Survey Panel was established, chaired by Solly Zuckerman and with Yates one of its members.

Sub-file SZ/MOW/6/5 Panel for Experimental Houses, 1945-47 contains two sub-sub-files and includes the minutes and papers of a Working Party on Sociological Observations. Solly Zuckerman was a member of both the Panel and the Working Party.

Zuckerman was a member of Education and Public Relations Sub-Committee, the subject of File SZ/MOW/7, with effect from its third (of four) meetings.

The Ministry of Works Parliamentary Secretary's Committee on Research, 1947, the subject of File SZ/MOW/9, began life as the Parliamentary Secretary's Working Party on Building Materials Production in March 1947 under the chairmanship of E.F.M. Durbin, MP, was re-named with effect from its 10th meeting, 11 June 1947, and met on at least 18 occasions in the course of 1947. The terms of reference were: to consider The need for adjustments in the production of building materials, including substitutes, in the light of the fuel situation, relative costs and other factors. Solly Zuckerman was a member of the Committee from its establishment until the setting up of the Advisory Council on Building and Civil Engineering Research and Development, to which he was appointed; it was felt by Durbin that Zuckerman's membership of both Committee and Council would duplicate his work for the Ministry needlessly.

Zuckerman was a member of the Council's Research Committee, the subject of Sub-file SZ/MOW/10/4, but appears to have attended only one meeting (the second, 9 September 1948). The terms of reference of the Committee were To advise the Minister of Works on the carrying out of a programme of research and development for which the Ministry of Works accepts responsibility, including sociological and economic research.

The contents of Sub-file SZ/MOW/10/5, Programmes Committee [of the Research Committee of the Advisory Council on Building and Civil Engineering Research and Development], 1949, consist of the minutes of the eighth meeting of the Council's Programmes Committee, 9 June 1949, at which Zuckerman was in attendance, and related papers.

The Scientific Advisory Committee was set up in April 1945 under the chairmanship of Professor J.D. Bernal to advise on and to suggest lines of scientific research in relation to matters for which the Minister of Works is responsible ... To suggest, having regard to existing research organisations in Government Departments, Universities and Industry, where this research could best be carried out; and to keep it under review to ensure that it is properly correlated. To advise on the practical possibilities and further development of the results of current research, whether carried out at the instance of the Minister or otherwise, and from time to time to review from the scientific point of view the results of such development [S.C. (45)1, Terms of Reference, 24 April 1945].

SZ was a founder member of the Committee.

The Advisory Council on Building and Civil Engineering Research and Development was set up in December 1947 and superseded the Ministry's Scientific Advisory Committee, the membership of which had consisted entirely of scientists. The Council, by contrast, drew together a wide variety interests ... to deal with the problems of building research. [Minutes of first meeting, 12 December 1947]. The Council was chaired by Sir Harold Emmerson, and Solly Zuckerman was a founder member. The Council's terms of reference were:

To keep under review the whole field of building research and technical development and the results obtained therefrom.

To suggest from time to time subjects of further research and development with due regard to their relative importance and urgency. To advise on the programme of sociological and economic research in the building industry and other research and development work for which the Ministry of Works is responsible. To advise on the methods of securing the use by industry of the results of research and technical development.

• SZ/MOW/1 Agenda and Minutes, 1945-47
• SZ/MOW/2 Documents, 1943-1950 [in four sub-files]
• SZ/MOW/3 Correspondence, 1945-48
• SZ/MOW/4 Building Industry Sub-Committee, 1945-48 [in five sub-files]
• SZ/MOW/5 Building Materials and Structures Sub-Committee, 1945, 1947
• SZ/MOW/6 Building Requirements Sub-Committee, 1945-1950 [in five sub-files]
• SZ/MOW/7 Education and Public Relations Sub-Committee, 1946-47
• SZ/MOW/8 National Consultative Council of the Building and Civil Engineering Industries, 1946-47
• SZ/MOW/9 Ministry of Works Parliamentary Secretary's Committee on Research, 1947 [in three sub-files]
• SZ/MOW/10 Advisory Council on Building and Civil Engineering Research and Development, 1947-1951[in five sub-files]
• SZ/MOW/11 Ministry of Works Statistical Bulletin, June 1945 - July 1946
• SZ/MOW/12 Building Science Abstracts, November 1945 - March 1947
• SZ/MOW/13 Ministry of Works Library Accessions Lists nos 1 - 2, 1945, and Bulletin vol. 1, nos 21 - 24, 1945
• SZ/MOW/14 Post-War Building Studies, nos 1 - 16, 18-19, 23, 1944-46
• SZ/MOW/15 British Standards for Building Materials and Components. BS Handbook no. 3, 1944, and Supplement, 1945

Please refer to the fonds-level description for GB 1187 SZ.

BG; DNS

Please refer to the fonds-level description for GB 1187 SZ.