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The Board of Trade
The Board of Trade in the early 1800s.

The Board of Trade is a British government group that helps with business and industry. It's currently part of the Department for Business and Trade. Its full name is very long: "The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of all matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations." But everyone just calls it the Board of Trade. It used to be known as the Lords of Trade and Plantations or Lords of Trade.

This board has changed a lot over time. In the 1600s, it was very involved in managing colonies. Later, in the Victorian Era and early 1900s, it had strong powers to make rules. It was pretty quiet for a long time in the late 1900s. In 2017, it was brought back to life as an advisory board. It's now led by the International Trade Secretary, who is also called the President of the Board of Trade.

What is the Board of Trade?

The Board of Trade started as a temporary group in England's Privy Council. Its job was to give advice about colonies, also called "plantations," in the early 1600s. This was when England was first setting up settlements overseas. Over time, the board grew into a powerful government department. It handled many different tasks.

These tasks included:

  • Managing trade both inside and outside England.
  • Creating and enforcing important trade rules called the Navigation Acts.
  • Checking and approving laws made in the colonies.

Between 1696 and 1782, the Board of Trade worked with different government secretaries. They were in charge of colonial matters, especially in British America. After Britain lost the American War of Independence, the board was closed down in 1782.

The Board Returns (1784)

After the Treaty of Paris 1783 ended the American War of Independence, Britain still needed to manage trade. This included trade with its remaining colonies, the new United States, and other countries. So, William Pitt the Younger created a new committee in 1784. This committee became known as the Board of Trade in 1786, though the name wasn't official until 1861.

At first, the new board mostly gave advice, just like earlier versions. It did a better job of handling colonial matters, such as approving laws for the colonies. As the Industrial Revolution grew, the board's work became more focused on running things in Britain. From the 1840s, new laws gave it duties related to:

  • Railways
  • Merchant shipping (ships that carry goods)
  • Companies (called joint-stock companies)

In 1970, the Board of Trade joined with the Ministry of Technology. They formed the Department of Trade and Industry. The person in charge of this new department was also the President of the Board of Trade. The full board has met only once since the mid-1900s, which was in 1986 to celebrate its 200th birthday. In 2016, the role of President of the Board of Trade moved to the Secretary of State for International Trade. The board was officially restarted in October 2017.

How the Board Started

In 1622, King James I asked his Privy Council of England to create a temporary group. This group was to look into problems like falling trade and money troubles. This led to many temporary groups and councils being set up to manage the colonies and their trade. The board's long official name still reflects this early purpose.

In 1634, King Charles I set up a new group to manage the colonies. Its main goals were to increase the king's power and the influence of the Church of England in the colonies. Soon after, the English Civil Wars began, causing a long period of political trouble in England. This made it hard for these committees to work well.

During the time when England was a republic (the Interregnum and Commonwealth), some important laws were passed in 1650 and 1651. One of these created the first Commission of Trade by an Act of Parliament. This group was told to look at both local and international trade, companies, and even fisheries. They also looked at the colonies and how to make them useful to England. These laws were the first clear plan for England's trade policy. They showed a strong focus on making England prosperous and wealthy.

In 1675, the Lords of Trade came up with the idea of turning all American colonies into Royal Colonies. This was to protect English trade from the French. They made New Hampshire a Crown Colony and changed other colony rules. They even created the Dominion of New England in 1685. This turned a large area into one big royal colony.

In 1696, King William III appointed eight paid members to help promote trade in the American colonies and other places. This group, known as the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Foreign Plantations, worked for a while but also had long periods of doing very little. It became very disorganized after 1761 and was finally closed down in 1782.

Important Leaders of the Board

In the 1800s, the board advised on economic activities in the UK and its empire. Later in the 1800s, it also dealt with laws for patents (protecting new inventions), designs, trademarks, company rules, worker rights, and transport. Colonial matters moved to the Colonial Office, and other jobs were given to new departments. This process continued for much of the 1900s.

The original board had important government officials who didn't have to attend meetings. It also had eight paid members who were required to attend. This board didn't have much real power. Trade and colony matters were usually handled by other government secretaries. The board mostly focused on managing the colonies.

Lloyd George as President (1905–1908)

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Lloyd George and Winston Churchill in 1907

In 1905, David Lloyd George became the President of the Board of Trade. This was a very important job in the new Liberal government.

Lloyd George led a department with many experts. They were in charge of overseeing British industry, business, and transportation. He used their knowledge to start many reforms that were quickly approved by Parliament. Some of his first actions included:

  • The Census of Production Act 1906: This law helped collect detailed statistics about different industries.
  • The Merchant Shipping Act 1906: This law improved working conditions and safety for sailors on British ships and foreign ships using British ports.
  • The Patents and Design Act 1907: This law protected British designs from being unfairly copied by foreign companies.

One of his most important changes was creating the Port of London Authority in 1908. This group brought together many private companies that managed the port. It gave one unified group control over Britain's most important port. This helped London compete better with other big ports like Hamburg and Rotterdam.

Lloyd George also helped settle strikes and disagreements between workers and companies. He was very important in stopping a big railway strike in 1907. He convinced railway companies to talk with elected representatives of their workers.

Churchill as President (1908–1910)

In 1908, Winston Churchill became the President of the Board of Trade, taking over from Lloyd George. He continued the reforms that Lloyd George had started. Churchill helped settle a dispute between ship workers and employers. He then set up a permanent court to handle future industrial disagreements. This helped him gain a reputation as someone who could bring people together.

Churchill worked with Lloyd George to support social reforms. He wanted a "network of State intervention and regulation" similar to what Germany had.

Churchill's main achievements came in 1909:

  • The Labour Exchanges Bill: This law set up over 200 offices where unemployed people could get help finding jobs.
  • The Trade Boards Bill: This law created groups that looked into unfair working conditions in certain industries. It allowed the government to go after employers who exploited workers. This law also helped establish the idea of a minimum wage and the right for workers to have meal breaks.
  • The Mines Eight Hours Bill: This law made it illegal for miners to work more than eight hours a day.

Sydney Buxton was president between 1910 and 1914. He mainly focused on passing many specific trade and business laws.

The Board Today

From 1973, the United Kingdom's international trade policy was handled by the European Economic Community, and later the European Union. The Board of Trade was restarted in October 2017, after the UK decided to leave the European Union in 2016. Today, only certain high-ranking officials can be actual members of the board. Others are appointed as advisers.

Who is on the Board?

There is only one permanent member of the Board, who is its President.

Ministers

Ministers who work with the Board are responsible to Parliament, even if they are not full members of the Board.

Current Advisers

These people were appointed as advisers to the Board in September 2020 or hold their positions because of their other jobs:

See also

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