Wilson (Harold) Typed letter signed ("Harold Wilson")

The letter, to Professor W.D.M. Paton, on Downing Street headed paper, reads "I am glad to learn from Sir Solly Zuckerman that you are ready to join the Central Advisory Council for Science and Technology, and I am writing to ask you formally whether you would be prepared to serve on this Council for an initial period of three years, which would, of course, be renewable by mutual agreement. The appointment would be understood as being in your personal capacity and not as representing any specific interest, either Governmental or non- Governmental, or any particular field of scientific or technological activity. My intention in creating a small Council under the Chairmanship of Sir Solly Zuckerman, in his capacity as Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, was to ensure that in our planning of the deployment of our scientific and technological resources we have the very best advice at our disposal. The Council, therefore, are concerned with strategy rather than tactics, in the sense that we do not wish them to involve themselves in individual projects or administrative problems, which remain the responsibility of particular Departments or Councils. But we do look to them for help in taking a broad and comprehensive view of the whole range of scientific and technological effort and in reaching an informed judgment on the very difficult issues of priorities which arise in this field. It is It is for this reason that the terms of reference require the Council 'To advise the Government on the most effective national strategy for the use and development of our scientific and technological resources'. Sir Solly Zuckerman will explain to you how the Council has set about this task", two pages, minor staining to top margin due to rusty paperclip, 4to, 10 Downing Street, 9 March 1970; together with photographs signed by Harold Wilson (as "Wilson of Rievaulx"), James Callaghan and David Owen (4)

Dimensions:the letter 9.4 x 7.4"/ 24 x 19cm