When the Department of Trade and Industry took over the Radio Regulatory Division from the Home Office in 1993, Barry Maxwell was the first DTI official appointed and he became Head of Licensing, a portfolio that included amateur radio. In the four years that he was in charge notable events included the allocation of the 50 MHz band to amateur radio (his letter giving the exciting news to RSGB being published as a front cover of Radcom), the transfer of the running of the Morse Test to RSGB and the introduction of the Young Amateur of the Year award. After a short spell in the Secretary of State’s office in DTI, the lure of radio proved overwhelming and Barry rejoined the organisation in 1988 as Director of the Radio Investigation Service. When the Radiocommunications Agency was established in 1990, Barry was appointed to the Board and his remit was gradually expanded to include responsibility for the Baldock Radio Monitoring Station (it was Barry who donated one of Baldock’s surplus vehicles to the RSGB which is now GB4FUN), the Radio Technology and Compatibility Laboratory and radio research. Barry was also Chairman of the Radiocommunications Quality Council and Director of Radio Spectrum International. When Ofcom was formed in 2003, Barry joined on loan as Head of Field Operations and when that arrangement ended in 2005 he took early voluntary retirement from DTI. Since ‘retirement’, Barry has chaired several conferences for Lambeth Council and undertaken consultancy work for organisations seeking public sector contracts.

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