Laurence Norman Helsby, Baron Helsby (27 April 1908 – 5 December 1978) was a British civil servant.

Early life

Laurence Helsby was born on 27 April 1908 and educated at

Sedbergh School Sedbergh School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the town of Sedbergh in Cumbria, in North West England. It comprises a junior school for children aged 4 to 13 and the main school for 13 to 18 year olds. I ...

in Cumbria, before studying at Keble College, Oxford. He lectured in economics at the

University College of the South West of England , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public , ...

(a predecessor institution of the

University of Exeter , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public , ...

) between 1930 and 1931 and at the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...

between 1931 and 1945.

Career

In 1946, he joined the Civil Service, initially as an Assistant Secretary in the

Treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or i ...

, before becoming Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, between 1947 and 1950. After a period working in the

Ministry of Food An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...

, he was appointed

First Civil Service Commissioner The First Civil Service Commissioner heads the Civil Service Commission, a statutory body which ensures that appointments to the Civil Service in the United Kingdom are made openly and on merit, and hears appeals from civil servants under the Civ ...

in 1954, transferring in 1959 to become Permanent Secretary of the

Ministry of Labour The Ministry of Labour ('' UK''), or Labor ('' US''), also known as the Department of Labour, or Labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, a ...

. In 1963, he was made joint

Permanent Secretary to the Treasury The UK Permanent Secretary to the Treasury is the most senior civil servant at HM Treasury. The post originated as that of Assistant Secretary to the Treasury in 1805; that office was given new duties and renamed in 1867 as a Permanent Secretaryship ...

and

Head of the Home Civil Service His Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as His Majesty's Civil Service, the Home Civil Service, or colloquially as the Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy or secretariat of Crown employees that supports His Majesty's Government, whic ...

. Following his retirement, he was created a life peer on 21 May 1968 with the title Baron Helsby, of Logmore in the County of Surrey. Helsby was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1950 New Year Honours, and was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the

1963 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1963 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to ''The Lon ...

; he had also been previously knighted (KBE) in the 1955 New Year Honours. He was awarded an

Honorary Fellowship Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...

of Keble College in 1959, and received honorary degrees from the universities of Exeter and Durham.

Personal life

He married in 1938 to Wölmett whom he had met whilst teaching at Durham. The union produced a son and a daughter. Lord Helsby died on 5 December 1978.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Helsby, Laurence Helsby, Baron 1908 births 1978 deaths British civil servants Permanent Secretaries of HM Treasury Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Labour Civil servants in the Ministry of Food People educated at Sedbergh School Alumni of Keble College, Oxford Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Crossbench life peers Principal Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister Life peers created by Elizabeth II