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Red box (government)
Encyclopedia
The term "Red box" informally refers to a ministerial box used by ministers
in the British government
to carry their documents. Similar in appearance to a briefcase
, they are primarily used to hold and transport official departmental
papers from place to place.
and ministerial title. The 2 or 3 kg boxes are constructed of slow-grown pine, lined with lead and black satin and, unlike a briefcase, the lock is on the bottom, opposite the hinges and the handle, to guarantee that the box is locked before being carried.
The colour red has remained the traditional covering of the boxes. The lead lining, which has been retained in modern boxes, was once meant to ensure that the box sank when thrown overboard in the event of capture. Also bomb-proof, they are designed to survive any catastrophe that may befall their owner.
Production of the red boxes cost between £385 and £750. Between 2002 and 2007 the British Government spent £57,260 on new boxes. In 1998, a Whitehall
initiative began to replace document boxes with an extensive intranet
.
Exceptions to the red colouring are those carried by the government whips
, which are covered in black leather. Discreet black boxes are also available for ministers who need to travel by train. Traditionally, when ministers leave office, they are permitted to retain one of the red (or black) boxes as a memento.
, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer
announces his annual budget
plans.
The first budget box was made for William Ewart Gladstone
around 1860 and is lined in black satin and covered with scarlet leather
. That particular box had been used by every Chancellor since, with the exceptions of James Callaghan
(1964–1967) and Gordon Brown
(1997-2007), who both had new ones commissioned in 1965 and 1997 respectively. Gladstone's budget box was again used by Alistair Darling
(2007-2010) and a final time by George Osborne
in June 2010. Afterwards, it was retired due to its fragility, and will now be kept in the Cabinet War Rooms.
The Budget Box of 1997 is made of yellow pine
with a brass
handle and lock, covered in scarlet leather and embossed with the Royal Cypher
and the words Chancellor of the Exchequer directly beneath it.
every day (except Christmas Day and Easter Day) by government departments, via the Page of the Presence
. These boxes contain Cabinet
and Foreign and Commonwealth Office
documents, most of which the monarch
must sign and give Royal Assent
to, before they can become law (an essential part of the role of a constitutional monarch).
HM The Queen Mother used to get Red Boxes almost up until she died, and HRH The Prince of Wales has received boxes of information for some years.
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
in the British government
Politics of the United Kingdom
The politics of the United Kingdom takes place within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is the head of state and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government...
to carry their documents. Similar in appearance to a briefcase
Briefcase
A briefcase is a narrow box-shaped bag or case used mainly for carrying papers and other documents and equipped with a handle. Lawyers commonly use briefcases to carry briefs to present to a court, hence the name...
, they are primarily used to hold and transport official departmental
Departments of the United Kingdom Government
Her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of Cabinet ministers who are usually called secretaries of state when they are in charge of Government departments called ministerial departments...
papers from place to place.
Ministerial box
The design of ministerial boxes has changed little since the 1860s. Covered in red stained rams' leather, it is embossed with the Royal CypherRoyal Cypher
In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. In the case where such a cypher is used by an emperor or empress, it is called...
and ministerial title. The 2 or 3 kg boxes are constructed of slow-grown pine, lined with lead and black satin and, unlike a briefcase, the lock is on the bottom, opposite the hinges and the handle, to guarantee that the box is locked before being carried.
The colour red has remained the traditional covering of the boxes. The lead lining, which has been retained in modern boxes, was once meant to ensure that the box sank when thrown overboard in the event of capture. Also bomb-proof, they are designed to survive any catastrophe that may befall their owner.
Production of the red boxes cost between £385 and £750. Between 2002 and 2007 the British Government spent £57,260 on new boxes. In 1998, a Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
initiative began to replace document boxes with an extensive intranet
Intranet
An intranet is a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to securely share any part of an organization's information or network operating system within that organization. The term is used in contrast to internet, a network between organizations, and instead refers to a network...
.
Exceptions to the red colouring are those carried by the government whips
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
, which are covered in black leather. Discreet black boxes are also available for ministers who need to travel by train. Traditionally, when ministers leave office, they are permitted to retain one of the red (or black) boxes as a memento.
Budget Box
Perhaps the best known red box is the Budget Box, which is held up for a photo-shoot outside 11 Downing Street11 Downing Street
11 Downing Street , is the official residence of the Second Lord of the Treasury in Britain, who in modern times has always been the Chancellor of the Exchequer...
, when 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...
announces his annual budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
plans.
The first budget box was made for William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
around 1860 and is lined in black satin and covered with scarlet leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
. That particular box had been used by every Chancellor since, with the exceptions of 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...
(1964–1967) and Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
(1997-2007), who both had new ones commissioned in 1965 and 1997 respectively. Gladstone's budget box was again used by Alistair Darling
Alistair Darling
Alistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...
(2007-2010) and a final time by George Osborne
George Osborne
George Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
in June 2010. Afterwards, it was retired due to its fragility, and will now be kept in the Cabinet War Rooms.
The Budget Box of 1997 is made of yellow pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
with a brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
handle and lock, covered in scarlet leather and embossed with the Royal Cypher
Royal Cypher
In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. In the case where such a cypher is used by an emperor or empress, it is called...
and the words Chancellor of the Exchequer directly beneath it.
Royal Red Boxes
Other red boxes of note are the ones delivered to the British SovereignBritish monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
every day (except Christmas Day and Easter Day) by government departments, via the Page of the Presence
Page of the Presence
A Page of the Presence is a servant of the British Royal Household who acts as a personal attendant to Royal visitors. During events at Buckingham Palace , they are positioned at the Grand Entrance and supervise the arrival of guests and heads of state...
. These boxes contain Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
and Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
documents, most of which the monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
must sign and give Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
to, before they can become law (an essential part of the role of a constitutional monarch).
HM The Queen Mother used to get Red Boxes almost up until she died, and HRH The Prince of Wales has received boxes of information for some years.