Ministry of Technology

Cousins had played a significant role in supporting Wilson's campaign to become leader of the Labour Party.

By the time of the 1966 general election, Wilson was telling Tony Benn to prepare to take over because "I can't think Frank Cousins will stay long.

In the event, Cousins resigned on 3 July 1966 when the Prices and Incomes Bill was published, and was duly replaced by Benn.

When Edward Heath took over as prime minister after the 1970 general election, he had no commitment to maintain Wilson's new Ministries.

In October 1970, Heath merged the Ministry with the Board of Trade to create the Department of Trade and Industry; at the same time, the responsibilities for aerospace research, development and procurement passed to the short-lived Ministry of Aviation Supply which was disbanded in 1971 with functions passing to the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Defence[5] Nicholas Ridley was briefly a parliamentary secretary for the department in 1970 at the beginning of the Heath government.