§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 2 May, column 131, to what extent(a) professional historians and (b) qualified archivists are involved at any stage in the 10-year and 25-year sifts. [22939]
§ Mr. Heseltine(a) When the Department needs the advice of a professional historian, it obtains this via the 360W Public Record Office, which maintains close links with the academic community.
(b) Those staff at the Public Record Office whose role is to guide and inspect the work of my Department's records review section include one qualified archivist who carries out checks on 10-year sifts and two to three qualified archivists who are involved with the 25-year reviews.
§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 2 May, column 131, what special training is given to persons who have responsibility for assessing the historical significance of documents held by his Department. [22940]
§ Mr. HeseltineThe Department provides internal, on-the-job training for records review staff, who are also supported by on-the-job coaching from qualified archivist staff from the Public Record Office. The Department also avails itself of formal training courses, annual conferences and special seminars provided by the Public Records Office.