HC Deb 07 December 1981 vol 14 cc579-80
49. Mr. Newens

asked the Attorney-General when the study, undertaken at the behest of the Lord Chancellor, on providing space for the deposit of General Register Office records over 100 years old at Kew is likely to be complete; and when he expects to be able to make a statement.

The Solicitor-General

The report is expected before the end of the year. The possible provision of space for the General Register Office records forms part of study. Before the report is received, it is not possible to predict when it will be possible to make a statement about it.

Mr. Newens

I thank the Solicitor-General for that reply. Can he estimate the time that will be needed to pass the necessary legislation to transfer records of births, marriages and deaths to the Public Record Office, and how long it may be before those records eventually become available to the many people who wish to consult them?

The Solicitor-General

I know of the hon. Gentleman's interest in this matter and the helpful questions that he has raised in the past. I wish to be as helpful as I can. He will know, however, that the study requested by the Lord Chancellor was a feasibility study. The initial work was completed in the summer, but it was not possible to obtain comments from all those from whom such comments needed to be obtained until the middle of October. The final report is now being revised to take account of those matters. As it is a feasibility study, one hopes that the answers which the hon. Gentleman rightly seeks will emerge from it, but I cannot give them in anticipation of it.

Mrs. Renée Short

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I refer to the very serious concern that has been created in my constituency by the announcement about the closure of Guy Motors Limited. I raised the matter with the Prime Minister last week, but received no reply from her. I raised the matter again during Friday's debate on the West Midlands, but got nothing out of the Under-Secretary of State for Industry. Would it therefore be possible to ask the Secretary of State to reply to question No. 18? I should be very much obliged.

Mr. Speaker

Order. I know that the hon. Lady would be much obliged, but I should be setting a precedent that would present difficulty for me in the future.

I have had notice of two other points of order, which I shall take after statements.