Order in Council of 10 August, 1904

The Order in Council of 10 August, 1904 was a piece of British legislation which altered the titles of the members of and secretaries to the Board of Admiralty and defined some of their duties.

Order in Council

WHEREAS the constitution and business of the Board of Admiralty are set forth in the Orders in Council of Her late Majesty bearing date the 19th day of March one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, and the tenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.

And whereas we consider it desirable that the above Orders in Council shall be rescinded, and that the designations of the various Members of and Secretaries to the Board, and the definition of the business to be assigned to them, shall be set forth herein, namely—

I. The Members of the Board shall be—

The First Lord of the Admiralty,

The First Sea Lord,

The Second Sea Lord,

The Third Sea Lord and Controller,

The Fourth Sea Lord,

The Civil Lord.

II. There shall be two Secretaries to be called—

The Parliamentary and Financial Secretary,

The Permanent Secretary.

III. The First Lord shall be responsible to Your Majesty and to Parliament for all the business of the Admiralty, the business to be transacted as follows:—

(a) The First Sea Lord, the Second Sea Lord, and the Fourth Sea Lord to be responsible to the First Lord of the Admiralty for the administration of so much of the general business connected with Your Majesty's Navy, and with the movement and condition of Your Majesty's Fleet and with the "Personnel" of that Fleet, as shall be assigned to them or each of them, from time to time, by the First Lord.

(b) The Third Sea Lord and Controller to be responsible to the First Lord for the administration of so much of the business relating to the "Matériel" of Your Majesty's Navy as shall from time to time be assigned to him by the First Lord.

(c) The Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to be responsible to the First Lord for the Finance of the Department and for so much of the other business of the Admiralty as shall from time to time be assigned to him by the First Lord.

(d) The Civil Lord and the Permanent Secretary to have such duties as shall from time to time be assigned to them by the First Lord. We beg leave to recommend that Your Majesty may be graciously pleased by Your Order in Council to sanction this proposal.

Bibliography

The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. Vol. IX. London: For His Majesty's Stationary Office. 1908.