HL Deb 14 November 1967 vol 286 cc585-6

2.36 p.m.

VISCOUNT DILHORNE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make a statement on the Report of the Committee on Legal Records.]

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, the Committee on Legal Records reported last year, giving detailed advice on which legal records should be permanently preserved and for how long the remainder should be kept. I am most grateful to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Denning, and his Committee for their valuable Report. One recommendation was that only official copies of wills deposited since 1858 should be preserved and that the more bulky originals should be destroyed 50 years after the grant of probate. Many people interested in historical and genealogical subjects criticised this proposal; they urged that the original wills should be preserved for all time. In these circumstances I asked the Advisory Council on Public Records to consider the Report. The Council have now recommended the preservation of original wills deposited before the date of the introduction of the photostat copying process. Original wills deposited after that date should be kept for 50 years and then destroyed, subject to satisfactory tests as to the durability of photostat copies.

I hope the noble Lord will agree that this is a satisfactory solution to the problem, which is solely one of space. Original wills deposited since 1958 occupy almost 18,000 cubic feet, over four times the space taken by the copies.

The Council suggest minor modifications to some other of the original Committee's recommendations which I have also accepted. I do not think I need trouble your Lordships with the details. Their Report is being circulated to interested parties and will be published in their Annual Report. I am very grateful to them for their assistance.

VISCOUNT DILHORNE

My Lords, may I thank the noble and learned Lord who sits on the Woolsack for making that statement, and may I join with him in thanking those who served on this Committee, which was appointed, I think, when I was Lord Chancellor.