The rise and fall of the department of economic affairs 1964–69: British government and indicative planning

Abstract

In October 1964, the Labour government created a Department of Economic Affairs as part of its interest in indicative planning. Its creation coincided with an intense interest in the reform of machinery of government. The origins of the ‘DEA concept’ can reliably be traced to discussions that took place in the Labour party from 1963 onwards. The DEA's demise in 1969 has been attributed to’ a range of factors, including the timing of devaluation, the power of the Treasury, the artificial separation between long‐term and short‐term functions, personalities, and the failure to resolve demarcation disputes between the two departments.