Arthur Peterson

Sir Arthur William Peterson KCB MVO (22 May 1916 - 8 May 1986) was a British civil servant who served as Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office. As such he was the senior civil servant and permanent head of the Home Office, one of the most senior civil service roles in government. He also pioneered the use of psychologists in British prisons.

Career Born in Calcutta, Peterson was educated at Shrewsbury School and Merton College, Oxford. He was the younger brother of Alec Peterson, the educational reformer. He introduced the first psychologists to British prisons.

Peterson went on to serve as Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office from 1972 to 1977. In that role, he suggested alterations to arrangements for Armistice Day – or even cancelling it altogether. In 1975, he also provided evidence to the United Kingdom Prison Services Committee and warned members of parliament about what activities prisoners in UK prisons might get involved in, without strict controls. The evidence and papers he provided to members of parliament are held in the National Archives.

He was Chairman of the British Refugee Council from 1981 to 1986. Between 1968 and 1985 he was Chairman of the Romney Street Group.

Honours

Member of the Royal Victorian Order, 1953 Companion of the Order of the Bath, 1963 Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, 1973