Editing Whitehall (section)

== Government buildings ==
[[File:Whitehall OS OpenData map.png|thumb|upright=1.2|Map of Whitehall and surrounding streets, showing government buildings]]
By the time the palace was destroyed, separation of crown and state had become important, with [[Parliament of England|Parliament]] being necessary to control military requirements and pass laws. The government wanted to be some distance from the monarch, and the buildings around Whitehall, physically separated from [[St James's Palace]] by [[St James's Park]], seemed to be a good place for ministers to work.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=191}}

The [[Horse Guards (building)|Horse Guards building]] was designed by [[William Kent]], and built during the 1750s on a former [[tiltyard]] site, replacing an earlier guard-house erected during the Civil War. The building includes an archway for coach traffic and two pedestrian arches that provide access between Whitehall and [[Horse Guards Parade]]. The central archway is marked with "SMF" and "StMW", and denotes the boundary between [[St Martin-in-the-Fields]] and [[St Margaret's, Westminster|St Margaret's]] church parish boundaries.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=208}}

During the 19th century, as private leases ran out on residential buildings, ownership reverted to the Crown, which began to use them as public offices.{{sfn|Brown|2009|p=120}} The name "Whitehall" is now used as a [[metonymy|metonym]] to refer to that part of the [[civil service]] which is involved in the [[government of the United Kingdom]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1019}} The street's central portion is dominated by military buildings, including the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]], with the former headquarters of the [[British Army]] and [[Royal Navy]], the [[Royal United Services Institute]], the Horse Guards building and the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]], on the opposite side.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=208}} Government buildings on Whitehall, from north to south, include The Admiralty Buildings,{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1019}} the [[Department for International Development]] at No.&nbsp;22, the [[Department of Energy and Climate Change]] at No.&nbsp;55,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://governmentbuildings.co.uk/properties/view/20028 |title=Department of Energy and Climate Change |publisher=UK Government properties database |access-date=4 June 2016 |archive-date=14 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114202036/https://governmentbuildings.co.uk/properties/view/20028 |url-status=live }}</ref> the Old [[War Office]],{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1019}} the [[Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (United Kingdom)|Office of the Parliamentary Counsel]] at No.&nbsp;36,{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1019}} the [[Horse Guards (building)|Horse Guards]],{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1019}} the [[Ministry of Defence Main Building (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence Main Building]],{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1019}} [[Dover House]] (containing the [[Scotland Office]]),{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1019}} [[Gwydyr House]] (containing the [[Wales Office]]),{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1019}} the [[Cabinet Office]] at No.&nbsp;70,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office |title=Cabinet Office |publisher=HM Government |access-date=4 July 2016 |archive-date=18 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218235655/https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]]{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1019}} and the [[Government Offices Great George Street]] ([[HM Treasury]], [[HM Revenue and Customs]] and parts of the Cabinet Office).{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=1019}}

[[File:Horse Guards London.JPG|thumb|left|250px|View of the [[Horse Guards (building)|Horse Guards Building]] from Whitehall, showing the three arches that link it to [[Horse Guards Parade]]]]
[[Scotland Yard]], the headquarters of London's [[Metropolitan Police Service]], was originally located in [[Great Scotland Yard]] off the north-eastern end of Whitehall. The buildings had been lodgings for the Kings of Scotland, on part of the old Palace of Whitehall's grounds; by the 19th century, Little and Middle Scotland Yard had been merged into Whitehall Place, leaving only Great Scotland Yard. No.&nbsp;4 Whitehall Place had become vacant by the 1820s, which allowed [[Robert Peel|Sir Robert Peel]] to use it as the main headquarters when forming the police in 1829. It was formally named the Metropolitan Police Office, but became quickly known as Great Scotland Yard, and eventually Scotland Yard. The buildings were damaged in a series of bombings by [[Irish nationalism|Irish nationalists]] in 1883, and an explosion from a [[Fenian]] terrorist attack on 30 May 1884 blew a hole in Scotland Yard's outer wall and destroyed the neighbouring Rising Sun pub. The headquarters was moved away from Whitehall in 1890.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=582}}

[[Downing Street]] leads off the south-west end of Whitehall, just above Parliament Street. It was named after [[Sir George Downing, 1st Baronet|Sir George Downing]], who built a row of houses along the street around 1680 leading west from Whitehall. Following a number of terrorist attacks, the road was closed to the public in 1990, when security gates were erected at both ends. On 7 February 1991, the [[Provisional IRA]] [[Downing Street mortar attack|fired mortars from a van]] parked in Whitehall towards [[10 Downing Street|No.&nbsp;10]], one of which exploded in the gardens.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|pp=246–7}}<ref>{{cite book |author1=John Michael Lee |author2=George William Jones |author3=June Burnham |title=At the Centre of Whitehall: Advising the Prime Minister and Cabinet |page=42 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-312-17730-5}}</ref>

Additional security measures have been put in place along Whitehall to protect government buildings, following a £25 million streetscape project undertaken by [[Westminster City Council]]. The project has provided wider pavements and better lighting, along with installing hundreds of concrete and steel security barriers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stonerestorationltd.co.uk/whitehall.html |title=Whitehall |publisher=Stone Restoration Services |access-date=5 July 2016 |archive-date=1 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701170417/http://stonerestorationltd.co.uk/whitehall.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Richmond House]], at No.&nbsp;79, has held the [[Department of Health (United Kingdom)|Department of Health]] since 1987. The building is scheduled to be a temporary debating chamber from 2025, while the [[Houses of Parliament]] undergo a refurbishment and modernisation programme.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/listed-whitehall-building-a-victim-of-parliament-move-rwwn9db0g|title=Listed Whitehall building falls victim to parliament move|date=15 October 2018|work=The Times|access-date=15 October 2018|url-access=subscription|archive-date=15 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015034417/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/listed-whitehall-building-a-victim-of-parliament-move-rwwn9db0g|url-status=live}}</ref>