§ 29. Sir WILFRID SUGDENasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will present copies of such documents as are desired by the Irish Government to them, and thereafter require all 907 documents and records at present in Ireland essential for the British people in England, Scotland, and Wales in respect to historical, industrial, legal, and property rights duly placed in the Public Records Office in London?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORENo, Sir, I am not aware of any sufficient ground for such an arrangement, which I think would be likely to impose grave disadvantages on British subjects in Ireland without any corresponding advantages to residents in this country. Provision for the transfer of the Public Record Office in Dublin to the then Provisional Government was made in Part I of the Schedule of the Order in Council dated 1st April, 1922.
§ Sir JOHN BUTCHERWill not the Government take steps, in the case of State documents which are really of no use in Ireland, to bring them over here, for safe custody in the Record Office?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIf there are such documents which would be more important over here than over there, and have not been destroyed, that would obviously be taken into consideration, but I am not aware that there are any such documents left.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERAre we really to understand that all the State documents from the time of Henry II are destroyed?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREOh, no, not all.