May I, 12 years on, offer a thought on Vickers "friends in Whitehall" (zen, #8,11, but others elsewhere too).
Our CNH, Vertical Empire, 2nd. Ed. P.100, on Orange Herald warhead, Blue Streak has a MoS memo,10/11/55:
"no evidence the Minister knows anything of the project" and CNH is (rightly) horrified that (expensive) "decisions (are) taken quite independently of the (responsible) Minister".
AW was (?is) a distinct fief, where security/need to know, is overwhelming (Yes,I know,, sometimes flawed). For years AWRE/Aldermaston rowed its own boat under remote management by the Minister for Science (not MoS or MoD). That was an outlier to the System. Which was (is) Committees, hierarchies signing off every little thing and taking their time to do so.
Board Chairmen look outward to Customers, Regulators, Investors, whereas MD/CEO/COO run the show.
UK Aero firms have a long record of appointing Chairmen who know their way around the System.
Vickers Ltd Chairmen relevant to Forbat's comments on "friends" were:
1945-6/56: Lt Gen Sir R.Weeks, DSO,MC* (D/CIGS, 1942-45),
6/56-6/62: Lord Knollys, Capt,DFC (Chairman, BOAC, 1943-47).
Forbat,P.78 records that V-A only took on Red Dean under MoS pressure (on Chairman).
Elsewhere...Twigge, Early UK GW Devt. has Morien Morgan, RAE scratching around to find Aero firms willing to take on GW. They knew that in business terms...it made no sense. Must be cost-plus, as no-one had (has) a clue on Project total cost, so endless scrutiny of every penny (Yes they blow any/all budget, but cost-plus gives them Post office Savings Bank yield.)
Vickers' friends did not do them many favours.