HL Deb 11 March 1992 vol 536 cc72-4WA
Lord Brougham and Vaux

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the Public Record Office is to be established as an agency.

The Lord Chancellor

Further to my answer of 23rd January to the noble Lord, Lord Gainford (Official Report, 23/1/91 col. WA5), I am pleased to confirm that I shall establish the Public Record Office as an executive agency on 1st April 1992. I will arrange for a copy of the Public Record Office's framework document to be placed in the Library. The following table sets out the key performance targets that I have set for the Public Record Office for 1992–93.

Indicator Target
Provision of Finding Aids To produce a new edition of the Current Guide and to begin work on a single set of finding aids for all the records.
Public Availability of Staff. On 90 per cent, of days on which the Office is open to the public there will be a minimum of four staff available to assist the public at Kew, four staff in the census rooms and four staff in the other rooms at Chancery Lane
Response time for answering correspondence Replies to letters requiring a response to stock letter will be sent within one week and those to other letters will be sent within three weeks.
Speed of producing reprographic copies. Copies of records will be provided within the following periods:
Electrostatic copies: Same day service: up to a stated maximum number of copies per person.
Other orders: five working days.
Prints from film (from existing microfilm): eight working days.
Bromide prints: three weeks.
A self-service copying service will be available at Kew and in the census rooms at all times.
Quality of copies made. No more than 5 per cent. of copies to require to be re-taken.
1 The cost of storage has been increased by the cost of installing the new records information system, which will enable longer term efficiency savings to be made.