HC Deb 14 March 2000 vol 346 cc155-6W
Mr. Baker

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what criteria determine the removal for disposal of documents from the Public Record Office; how many were so disposed of in 1999; and if he will make a statement. [114109]

Mr. Lock

The criteria which determine the removal for disposal of documents, which have been selected for permanent preservation and have been accessioned into the national collection at the Public Record Office, are governed by section 4 (3) of the Public Records Act 1958, which states: The Lord Chancellor may at any time direct that public records shall be transferred from the Public Record Office to a place of deposit appointed under this section or from such a place of deposit to the Public Record Office, or another place of deposit".

This provision has usually been employed to allow public records which are primarily of local or specialist interest to be transferred to the appropriate local authority record office or specialist archive. These institutions must be approved placed of deposit and are required to have suitable facilities for the safekeeping, preservation and inspection by the public of the records concerned.

In the calendar year 1999, no public records were transferred from the Public Record Office.