Ian Bancroft, Baron Bancroft
Encyclopedia
Ian Powell Bancroft, Baron Bancroft (23 December 1922 – 19 November 1996) was a British senior civil servant.
He was born at Barrow-in-Furness
, the son of a teacher. He was educated at Sir William Turner's Grammar School, Coatham
and Balliol College, Oxford
, where he read English. He served with the Rifle Brigade in France from 1942 to 1943, reaching the rank of Captain
.
After leaving the Army he joined the Civil Service
, serving as Private Secretary
to the Second Secretary to the Treasury Sir Henry Wilson Smith from 1948 to 1950, to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rab Butler
from 1953 to 1955 and also to Butler as Lord Privy Seal
from 1955 to 1957. He was Principal Private Secretary
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Reginald Maudling
in 1964, continuing under James Callaghan
until 1966, when he became an Under-Secretary to the Treasury. In 1968 he moved to the same position in the new Civil Service Department, then to the Department of the Environment
as Deputy Secretary and Director General of Organisation and Establishments from 1970 to 1972. From 1972 to 1973 he was a Commissioner of HM Customs and Excise, then Second Permanent Secretary at the Civil Service Department until 1975. He returned to the Department of the Environment as Permanent Secretary
from 1975 to 1977 before becoming Permanent Secretary to the Civil Service Department and Head of the Home Civil Service in 1978. In 1981 Margaret Thatcher
abolished the Civil Service Department, effectively ending his career.
He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath
in 1971, a Knight Commander in 1975, and a Knight Grand Cross in 1979. In 1982 he was given a life peerage and took his seat in the House of Lords
.
He was married in 1950 to Jean Swaine, by whom he had two sons and a daughter. He died in London.
He was born at Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
, the son of a teacher. He was educated at Sir William Turner's Grammar School, Coatham
Coatham
Coatham is a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.- History :Coatham began as a market village in the 14th century to the smaller adjacent fishing port of Redcar but as their populations grew from the 1850s, the dividing space narrowed...
and Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, where he read English. He served with the Rifle Brigade in France from 1942 to 1943, reaching the rank of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
.
After leaving the Army he joined the Civil Service
British Civil Service
Her Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports Her Majesty's Government - the government of the United Kingdom, composed of a Cabinet of ministers chosen by the prime minister, as well as the devolved...
, serving as Private Secretary
Private Secretary
In the United Kingdom government, a Private Secretary is a civil servant in a Department or Ministry, responsible to the Secretary of State or Minister...
to the Second Secretary to the Treasury Sir Henry Wilson Smith from 1948 to 1950, to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
Rab Butler
Rab Butler
Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG CH DL PC , who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician...
from 1953 to 1955 and also to Butler as Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
from 1955 to 1957. He was Principal Private Secretary
Principal Private Secretary
In the British Civil Service and Australian Public Service the Principal Private Secretary is the civil servant who runs a cabinet minister's private office...
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Reginald Maudling
Reginald Maudling
Reginald Maudling was a British politician who held several Cabinet posts, including Chancellor of the Exchequer. He had been spoken of as a prospective Conservative leader since 1955, and was twice seriously considered for the post; he was Edward Heath's chief rival in 1965...
in 1964, continuing under James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
until 1966, when he became an Under-Secretary to the Treasury. In 1968 he moved to the same position in the new Civil Service Department, then to the Department of the Environment
Department of the Environment
Department of the Environment or Department for the Environment may refer to:-Australia:* Department of the Environment and Water Resources...
as Deputy Secretary and Director General of Organisation and Establishments from 1970 to 1972. From 1972 to 1973 he was a Commissioner of HM Customs and Excise, then Second Permanent Secretary at the Civil Service Department until 1975. He returned to the Department of the Environment as Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
from 1975 to 1977 before becoming Permanent Secretary to the Civil Service Department and Head of the Home Civil Service in 1978. In 1981 Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
abolished the Civil Service Department, effectively ending his career.
He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1971, a Knight Commander in 1975, and a Knight Grand Cross in 1979. In 1982 he was given a life peerage and took his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
He was married in 1950 to Jean Swaine, by whom he had two sons and a daughter. He died in London.