IOR/R/15/2/1983

The file comprises papers relating to the financial operation of the Political Agency in Bahrain, including the Public Relations Office (PRO) and, for most of the months represented in the file, contain the following:

• cash accounts for the Political Agency for each month, with a summary of the month’s receipts and payments, followed by lists of the particulars of receipts and payments;
• absentee statements, providing details of absentees, their rate of pay, nature of absence, and details of the officiating government servant;
• detailed pay bills, including those for the Public Relations Officer;
• fully vouched contingent bills, covering petroleum products, costs related to the running of the PRO (rent of the office, reading room electricity and coffee, salaries, cinema running costs), freight charges, Cable & Wireless cable charges;
• treasury vouchers, including advances for remittance to the Residency Agent in Sharjah, for costs incurred on the Trucial Coast, and other travel costs;
• travel allowance bills;
• details of payments on Indian military, family and uncovenanted pensions;
• vouchers relating to office allowances, motor launch grants and central contract grants.

Included amongst the paperwork are numerous handwritten notes made by staff at the Political Agency, some correspondence discussing financial matters in the Agency, and some monthly lists, compiled by Cable & Wireless, indicating telegrams sent by the Bahrain Agency, including destination, class, word count and cost (ff 24-25, ff 117-121, ff 281-283, ff 480-482).