This series consists of two Speed-lock loose-leaf black binders, with a spine label: 'Z' file register and miscellaneous.  29.10.52-21.3.61'.  The first volume contains three sections, separated by tabbed dividers, which form the three elements of the series title and are described below.  The second volume continues the third element only.

(i) The first section, a single page, is preceded by a tabbed divider labelling it as "minutes". The section registers minutes Nos. 1-9 of the Prime Minister's Committee, reached at meetings between 20 August and 30 September 1954.

The page is headed 'register of Cabinet decisions' and is divided into the following columns: 
     
     - date of meeting 
     - minute No.
     - title
     - submission No. 
     - index
     - master file (generally decision number).

It appears that reorganisation within the Cabinet Office caused the termination of this sequence in 1954. (The text of these minutes can be found in CRS A4912(see related series) which also contains minutes 1-9 only. Subsequent minutes appear in the sequence of decisions of Cabinet and Cabinet Committees (CRS A4910) controlled by decision number. Consistent with this is the fact that in CRS A4944, 'Index to meeting records', volumes summarising business of meetings of Cabinet and Cabinet Committees, 1954-1961, the section dealing with the Prime Minister's Committee starts at the meeting containing minute No. 10).

(ii) The second section is preceded by a tabbed divider labelling it as 'Miscellaneous (Z series)'. The pages are identical with those described in (i) above but the meeting date and index columns have not been used. The Z files were maintained for matters on which no decision had been reached or which had been referred back to Ministers for decision. The 'Z' series is no longer extant, files having been top-numbered into the 'C' single number series (CRS A4940). 

Probable date range of this register is June 1951 to April 1960.

Further investigation of CRS A4940 is required to determine the reason for this top-numbering eg. whether a matter was re-activated. The 'C' file numbers to which 'Z' files have been top-numbered are occasionally noted in this series and in the register of submissions (CRS A4920). A handwritten register of 'Z' files (CRS A4925) shows top-numbering but is incomplete, covering only 122 of the 338 'Z' files. Further information on top-numbering appears in CRS A5245, the master register of submissions.

(iii) The third section is labelled "decisions" and contains pages headed : "Cabinet decisions". It appears to be the register in which decisions were entered after each meeting. For the first part of the Fifth Ministry (corresponding to the first system of submissions and decisions) entries are handwritten in the following columns: 

     - date of meeting
     - decision No.
     - indexed 
     - title
     - circulated (date and time)
     - submission No. 

Entries are typewritten for the remainder of the series (from the second system of the Fifth Ministry to the First Holt Ministry) with the following columns: 

     - date of meeting
     - minute No. 
     - title submissions No.
     - index; 
     - master file.

Overall date range of this section of the series is 29 October 1952 to 9 December 1966.

The first volume contains: Register of decisions of Cabinet meetings

     (a) Fifth Menzies Ministry - 29 Oct 1952 to 6 Jul 1954 
         Cabinet Decisions 567-1040

     (b) Fifth Menzies Ministry (Second System) - 22 Jul 1954 to 
         10 Nov 1955, Cabinet Decisions 1(VP)-705

     (c) Sixth Menzies Ministry - 11 Jan 1956 to 14 Oct 1958
         Cabinet Decisions 1(M) to 1685(M)

     (d) Seventh Menzies Ministry - 10 Dec 1958 to 21 Mar 1961 
         Cabinet Decisions 1(M) to 1270

The Second Volume contains the Register of decisions of Cabinet meetings

     (e) Part of the Seventh Menzies Ministry First System -  
         22 Mar 1961 to 19 Dec 1961 - Cabinet Decisions 1271-1689

     (f) Seventh Menzies Ministry Second System - 11 Jan 1962 to 
         4 Nov 1963 - Cabinet Decisions 1(M)-1150

     (g) Eighth Menzies Ministry - 17 Dec 1963 to 19 Jan 1966 -
         Cabinet Decisions 1(M)-1491

     (h) First Holt Ministry - 26 Jan 1966 to 9 Dec 1966 - 
         Cabinet Decisions 1(M)-678.

It is likely that this series replaced CRS A4916, Fifth Menzies Ministry - Registration booklet of Cabinet decisions (first system), 1951-1952.

Separate registers of decisions (also in decision number order) were maintained at the same time as this series:  see Related Series entry above.