§ Lord Harris of Greenwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any departments have privatised any parts of their filing systems; and, if so, which and on what dates.
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Mackay of Clashfern)Files and other records of government departments or agencies which are to be privatised are dealt with under the provisions of the Public Records Act. In each instance the staff of the department and of the PRO identify those records of enduring value and they are transferred to the PRO in due course. Other series of records may be passed to the private sector purchasers and these have been itemised each year by the Keeper in appendices to the annual reports. A list of presentations authorised under the Act since 1989 extracted from the annual reports is given below.
4WA
Government department records presented into the commercial sector authorised, under Public Record Act s.3(6) since 1989 Department Records 1996 British Coal Corporation Assorted files (1920–1966) 1995 Department of Trade and Industry Assorted files (1945–1995) Department of Trade and National Engineering Industry Laboratory records British Coal Corporation Pre-1985 NRF and FS files British Coal Corporation Pre-1985 V files United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Miscellaneous records British Coal Corporation Duplicate research reports, commercial contracts and other records 1994 HM Treasury Personal files of staff of Forward Catering 1993 Property Services Agency Registered files Property Services Agency Property maintenance records 1992 Property Services Agency Personnel records of PSA projects (1973–1993) Property Services Agency All PSA projects (1960–1992)
Government department records presented into the commercial sector authorised, under Public Record Act s.3(6) since 1989 Department Records Property Services Agency PSA files (1983–1992) Property Services Agency PSA files, Scotland (1976–1993) Property Services Agency PSA property records; PSA job and contract files (1976–1993) Property Services Agency PSA building management files (1976–1993) Property Services Agency PSA property records; property, policy and contract files; microfiche and computer records (1975–1993) Property Services Agency Management records, PSA registered files (1940–1993) Export Credits Guarantee Department Records of the Insurance Services Group 1991 Property Services Agency Records of PSA projects 1990 Department of Employment Records of Professional and Executive Recruitment National Dock Labour Board Plans of board headquarters National Dock Labour Board Plans of other board properties 1989 National Dock Labour Board Records of registered dock workers on the register immediately prior to the abolition of the scheme Training Agency Unregistered papers of the Skills Training Agency Department of Transport Road service licensing application files, NW Traffic Area