In April 1965, funding and control of the Observatory passed from the Admiralty Board (part of the Ministry of Defence) to the Science Research Council (SRC).
The Science ResearchCouncil was formed in 1965 as a result of the Trend Committee enquiry into the organisation of civil science in the UK. It was the agency in charge of publicly funded scientific and engineering research activities including astronomy, biotechnology and biological sciences, space research and particle physics.
In 1981, in order to reflect the increased emphasis on engineering research, the SRC was renamed as the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC). In 1994, it was split into two and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), was born. It was this Quango that now held the Observatory’s purse strings. It was under PPARC that the Observatory was closed in 1998.
As well as giving an overview of the finances, the annual reports of the SRC also contained, at the start, a list of those who sat on its Council, and at the end, in an appendix, those who sat on its Boards, as well as its numerous Committees and working parties.
Science Research Council Reports of the Council for the years 1965–1981
Board of Ordnance funding (1675–1818)
Admiralty funding (1811–1965)
Civil List funding (1752-1875)
Treasury funding via the budget for Civil Services and Stationary Office
Ministry of Works funding (Ministry of Public Buildings and Works from 1962)
Board of Trade funding
Private Patronage
Instruments on Loan
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