§ Mr. Hanleyasked the Attorney-General (1) over what time span the review being carried out into the improvement of the speed of access for the public to information contained in wills kept at Somerset House is planned; whether the review is being carried out independently; and when he expects a report to be made;
(2) what steps are being taken by his Department to improve and speed up access to wills kept at Somerset House by the use of modern technology.
§ The Attorney-GeneralNo review is being carried out in a formal sense, but officials in the Lord Chancellor's Department are considering the possibility of introducing further modern technology into the principal registry of the Family Division at Somerset House to improve access to wills and grants of representation. The microfiche search machines, which have for some years now been kept up to date by computer and use of which is available to the public free of charge, will very shortly be replaced by electronic models, these being the first production machines of their kind to be installed anywhere in the country. A new microfiche reader-printer is also on order, and this is expected to provide copy grants quicker, and of a greater clarity, than hitherto. Clarity of original grants, and consequently of copies, is to be improved by the provision of new electronic typewriters throughout the Family Division. Other possibilities are also under consideration.