§ Mr. Cockeramasked the Attorney-General what were the numbers of civil servants employed in the Public Record Office in April 1979; and why it is proposed in "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1984–85 and 1986–87," Cmnd. 9143, to increase the number of civil servants in this department.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe number of civil servants employed in the Public Record Office in April 1979 was 426. The expenditure plans for 1984–85 and 1986–87 allow for an increase from the present number of 401 to a total of 425 on 1 April 1988. Public records are increasing at the rate of 1¼ miles of shelf space a year, and need maintenance and service, as well as production for intending readers. The increase referred to in the question is designed to maintain services at their existing level as more records accumulate, and to prevent further deterioration of the documents.