Summary heading

  Descriptive Note

Function and purpose

  This series consists of a total of 6 folders containing an accumulation of ‘Debrief Sheets’ dating from 29 May 1978 to 10 February 1983

‘Debrief Sheets’ are pre-printed sheets in a standard format which are completed by the Note takers at Cabinet and Committee meetings to provide a cryptic record of the outcomes of each matter under discussion at the meeting.  They are essentially a further aide for the Notetakers, enabling them to record the outcome for each matter very quickly by using a set code.  The sheets therefore  complement the Notes taken in the Notebooks (CRS A11099) which are intended to assist the process of writing up the Decisions immediately after the meeting is concluded.

This practice was introduced in May 1978 – the first sheet being for a meeting of Cabinet at 8.30 am on 19 May 1978  The sheets were initially called  simply ‘Meeting records’ but by August of 1979 they were called by their present name.

Each sheet is headed with the date time and place of the meeting – as well as the meeting type (whether Cabinet or a particular Committee meeting ) – and the initials identifying the Notetakers.

Below this the sheet has columns which identify the matter discussed by submission number if there is one, or ‘W/S’ if the matter is without submission and a title for the subject.  The next column provides for recording the Decision number (which is entered afterwards when the Decisions have been registered.)  The next columns are headed ’Outcome codes’ and the notetaker enters a code in accordance with a set scheme.  At the right of the sheet is a column headed ‘Comments’ where further notes might be made for clarification if the outcome does not neatly accord with one of the codes.

The Outcome codes consisted of two parts – a primary heading designated by an alpha character and a secondary heading designated by a numeric

 Initially there were four primary codes designated A B C and D

A – dealt with further at this meeting

B – matter partially dealt with or deferred

C – ‘Subject to…’

D – finalised without doubt at this meeting

And each of these had a number of sub-cases in a numeric sequence, for example:

 B2 = Addendum called for

C3 = Subject to Department settling detail

D5 = Recommendation not taken up (rejected)

From August 1978 this scheme was replaced by a new one where the primary headings were represented by letters F, M and P:

F – Finalised by Cabinet

M - More Work for Cabinet

         P – Passing mention

for example:

F1 = Recommendation accepted in full

M2 – Oral report from Minister expected

and this scheme was revised again from January 1980 by addition of two new primary codes, L and A:

L – Legislation

A – Announcement

A copy of the current scheme is usually attached to the inside cover of each folder.  In the later period the list of codes was printed on the back of each sheet. 

The use of these sheets continued throughout the remainder of the Fraser government – the last sheet (in folder 6) being for a meeting of the Coordinating Committee on 10 February 1983.

Related legislation

 

Using the series

  The information contained in this series is easily accessed by means of the original arrangement. The sheets are in one chronological sequence throughout the six folders.  Each sheet is identified by the date and type of Meeting and the entries down the page are identified either by Submission number or the subject matter.  The Decision numbers are also recorded.

Language of material

 

Physical characteristics

  The folders are not standardised – two or four post binders of varying colour.  The contents are pre-printed (roneoed) sheets with handwritten entries.

System of arrangement and control

  The folders are controlled in a simple number sequence.  The sheets are arranged in one chronological sequence by date of the meeting.

Relationships with other records

  These records are most closely associated with the Notebooks in CRS A11099  and the Decisions (CRS A13075)

Finding aids

 

Access conditions

 

Series history

 

Provenance

  The record items in this series were created in the Cabinet Office between 29 May 1978 (date of commencement of Folder 1) and 10 August 1982 (date of commencement of Folder 6)  Contents were added to Folder 6 until 10 Feb 1983.

Immediate source of acquisition

 

Custodial history

  The records of this series were transferred from Cabinet Office to the National Archives in 2004

Quantity in agency custody

 

Disposal history

 

Publication note

 

Additional information

 

End notes

 

Sources