The Air Registration Board came into being as a result of the work of the Gorell Committee. It was incorporated in February 1937 and started work on April 1 of that year. The chairman of the board was Sir Maurice Denny, and there was a very small staff— reflecting the limited duties given to it initially. By early 1938 these had grown somewhat — so, for example, the board was authorised to recommend changes to regulations and requirements and it also started to investigate the design of prototype aircraft (cautiously, the Air Ministry limited it to investigations of aircraft weighing less than 10,000lb.).