§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any public documents or records or categories of public documents and records have been deliberately destroyed in the last five years rather than preserved for public inspection and study in due course; and on whose responsibility any such decision to destroy was made.
§ Mr. Arthur DavidsonI have been asked to reply.
Since 1959 numerous public records have been destroyed, as required by the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967, as not being worthy of permanent preservation. The responsibility is that of the Department concerned acting under the guidance of the Keeper of Public Records.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in general terms, what categories and types of public documents and records are preserved and made available in due course for public inspection and study.
§ Mr. Arthur DavidsonI have been asked to reply.
The public records which are preserved and made available for public inspection are all those which, in the view of the Department concerned acting under the guidance of the Keeper of Public Records, may be required for administrative purposes or are likely to be of sufficient value for academic or other research to justify the cost of preservation.
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§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds public documents and records which would otherwise be preserved and ultimately made available for public inspection and study may be destroyed.
§ Mr. Arthur DavidsonI have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the replies which I have given to his two immediately preceding Questions.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria by which the categories of public documents and records not to be opened for public inspection for a period in excess of 30 years are determined; and whether any public servant or official is empowered to change, amend or vary these criteria.
§ Mr. Arthur DavidsonI have been asked to reply.
I referred, in the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend on 18th January 1978—[Vol. 942, c. 229–30]—to the categories of records for which periods of closure in excess of 30 years have been prescribed. The determination of criteria to be applied in deciding which records fall within those categories is a matter for the Department or other body responsible for them, as is any alteration in such criteria.