Public Records (Hansard, 18 October 1993)

§ Dr. Marek
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued to Departments by the Public Record Office on the appraisal of personal records.

Mr. John M. Taylor
A copy of the guidance will be placed in the Library. In addition the chief executive of the Public Record Office, the Keeper of Public Records, who is best placed to provide specific information about the guidance, will be writing direct.

§ Dr. Marek
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what documentation is available about the extent and completeness of records transferred from various sources on any particular topic for keeping at the Public Record Office.

Mr. John M. Taylor
The hon. Member's question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executive of the Public Record Office is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive, the Keeper of Public Records, to reply direct.

§ Dr. Marek
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will place a copy in the Library of the guidelines issued by the Public Record Office on the documentation of the selection and transfer of records to the office.

Mr. John M. Taylor
I have done so today. In addition the chief executive of the Public Record Office, the Keeper of Public Records, will reply direct with comments on the guidelines.
Letter from S. Tyacke to Dr. John Marek, dated 14 October 1993: As part of his reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions, as set out below, the Parliamentary Secretary at the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to write to you direct. Parliamentary Question: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will place a copy in the Library of the guidance issued by the Public Record Office to departments on the appraisal of personal records. Date appeared: 27 July 1993. For written answer: 18 October 1993. PQ Reference No. 132. LCD PQ Reference No. 93/493. The guidance issued by the Public Record Office to departments on the appraisal of personal records is included in the Manual of Records Administration, issued to departments, and other organisations covered by the Public Records Acts, by our Government Services Department (paragraphs 3.5.18–3.5.21). I am arranging for a copy of the Manual to be placed in the Library of the House of Commons in response to a later question put down by you. Parliamentary Question: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what documentation is available about the extent and completeness of records transferred from various sources on any particular topic for keeping at the Public Record Office. Date appeared: 27 July 1993. For written answer: 18 October 1993. PQ Reference No. 133. LCD PQ Reference No. 93/494. When records are transferred to the Public Record Office, they are accompanied by lists, describing the contents of the transfer item by item, and these lists are made available in multiple sets in the reading rooms of the Public Record Office, as the records they describe become open to public inspection. Currently each set of lists of records transferred by modern departments, and made available in the reading rooms at Kew, contains upwards of half a million pages. The records are arranged in classes, each representing an original series of documents created in relation to a particular 4W activity or function of a department of court of law. The items in each class are described in the sets of lists, which are added to if and when further records are transferred and accessioned to a class. Nearly two thousand new pages of lists are added to each set every year. The Current Guide to the contents of the Public Record Office forms the central means of reference to its holdings, and describes the individual classes of records in the Office, giving readers the information they need to proceed to the correct class list, so that they can order items described in the lists. The class lists describe only those records that have been selected for transfer. The processes of selection involve, in the 35 largest departments alone, the file by file inspection of nearly 35 miles of records each year. As I have commented in an answer to a later question put down by you, it is a major current objective of the Public Record Office to improve the documentation of these processes of selection, in order that our own responsibility to co-ordinate and supervise them may be made more effective. Parliamentary Question: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will place a copy in the Library of the guidelines issued by the Public Record Office on the documentation of the selection and transfer of records to the Office. Date appeared: 27 July 1993. For written answer: 18 October 1993. PQ Reference No. 135. LCD PQ Reference No. 93/496. I am arranging for a copy of the Manual of Records Administration, issued to government departments and other organisations covered by the Public Records Acts, by our Government Services Department, to be placed in the Library of the House of Commons. It includes, at paragraph 3.5.18–3.5.21, the guidance on personal records, which is the subject of an earlier question put down by you. The intention of the Manual is to give guidance to departments on every aspect of work carried out under the Public Records Acts, and to indicate the division of responsibilities between departments and the Public Record Office. Although in this respect it should be a practical tool, it is not possible for it to cover every eventuality, and the need for day to day consultation between departments and the Public Record Office continues. A completely revised edition of the Manual was issued to departments in March 1993, and further amendments and additions were distributed in July this year. Chapter 5, on access to public records transferred to the Public Record Office, has been revised to take account of the new arrangements set out in Chapter 9 of the White Paper on Open Government (Cm. 2290), which covered the handling of public records. The revised text of Chapter 5, which is in the process of being distributed to departments, is included in the copy of the Manual in the Library. The Manual contains, in Chapter 3 on Selection and Destruction, in Chapter 6 on Preparation for Transfer and in Part 7.1 on Transfer of Records, guidance from the Public Record Office on the documentation of these activities. It is a major current objective of our Government Services Department to improve the documentation of the processes of appraisal—the determination of the value of records—and of selection. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask me.

§ Dr. Marek
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what guarantees were sought relating to standards to be maintained and professional ability available at the Royal Free NHS trust before it was designated as a place of deposit by the Public Record Office.

Mr. John M. Taylor
The hon. Member's question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executive of the Public Record Office is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive, the Keeper of Public Records, to reply direct.
Letter from S. Tyacke to Dr. John Marek, dated 14 October 1993: As part of his reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, as set out below, the Parliamentary Secretary at the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to write to you direct. 5W Parliamentary Question: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what guarantees were sought relating to standards to be maintained and professional ability available at the Royal Free NHS Trust before it was designated as a place of deposit by the Public Record Office. Date appeared: 27 July 1993. For written answer: 18 October 1993. PQ Reference No. 134. LCD PQ Reference No. 93/495. Places of deposit for public records are appointed under s. 4 (1) of the 1958 Public Records Act by the Keeper of Public Records, acting under powers delegated by the Lord Chancellor. Appointments are effected by an annual Lord Chancellor's (Places of Deposit) Instrument, issued each October, 247 such places of deposit being appointed in 1992. When an institution, such as the Royal Free NHS Trust, wishes to hold public records, such as hospital records, which have been selected for permanent preservation, and which are over 30 years old, it must apply to the Public Record Office for appointment as a place of deposit. The Public Record Office Liaison Officer is responsible for discussing with the institution the standards of storage and public access (where appropriate) it is expected to reach and to inspect the facilities that are ultimately provided before an appointment may proceed. As respects storage conditions, places of deposit are expected to house records in premises which follow as nearly as possible the recommendations in BS 5454: 1989 Recommendations for storage and exhibition of archival documents (BSI, 1989). The principal requirements are that:

1. The storage accommodation should be large enough to take not only the existing archive collection but also future accruals over a considerable number of years.

2. There must be strict precautions against unauthorised entry, to keep out the potential thief or vandal. The building should, therefore, be protected by an intruder alarm system, any doors should be strongly constructed, with thief proof locks, and ideally there should be no windows in the storage area.

3. Fire precautions should be of a very high standard, because of the unique nature of archives. At least there must be a smoke detection and alarm system, a suitable number of portable fire extinguishers, and appropriate fire resistances.

4. There must be no risk of flooding from internal or external sources.

5. It must be possible to control the atmospheric conditions within the approved ranges of temperature (16 C to 18 C) and relative humidity (55 per cent. to 65 per cent.).

Places of deposit are expected to provide access, under constant supervision, at reasonable hours depending on the nature of the institution. Furthermore, it is expected that the records in places of deposit should be managed by a qualified archivist. The processes which led to the first appointment in 1992 and subsequent monitoring of the Royal Free Hospital are common to all places of deposit. Officials at the hospital were in close contact with the Liaison Officer through the life of the project to set up the hospital archive, and advice was given on the feasibility of conversion of the Hoo (the actual building which was appointed a place of deposit), on the plans and specifications produced for that conversion and on the future management of the records. This enabled the PRO to ensure that appropriate standards were being adhered to throughout the conversion. As soon as the conversion work was completed, the building was inspected and assessed against the standards appropriate to a place of deposit and was formally appointed in the 1992 Lord Chancellor's Places of Deposit Instrument on the recommendations of the Liaison Officer. The Instrument is renewed annually and an institution's appointment may be rescinded if standards drop below an acceptable level. The Liaison Officer is responsible for inspecting not only proposed new places of deposit but also existing places of deposit on a regular basis to ensure that standards of professional care for the records are being maintained. Unless circumstances warrant a visit before then, The Hoo will be due for reinspection in 2000. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask me.