HC Deb 25 February 2002 vol 380 c847W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what official visits abroad officials from the Public Record Office have made since 1997; at what cost; and for what purpose. [32402]

Ms Rosie Winterton

The official visits abroad by officials from the Public Record Office are as follows:

£
Visits Average cost
1997 15 1,000
1998 21 1,100
1999 25 650
2000 29 800
2001 24 1,900

The visits were made for the following purposes:

  1. 1. Collaboration, joint projects, research and benchmarking mainly with national archives in USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
  2. 2. Service on international committees relating to archives; mainly the International Council or Archives and the European Union, but also the International Standards Organisations; almost all within Europe.
  3. 3. Attendance at conferences on archival topics, mainly in Europe.
  4. 4. Supervisory visits to Mauritius in connection with transcriptions of the PRO on-line catalogue (PROCAT).
  5. 5. Supervisory visits to India and Sri Lanka in connection with transcriptions of the 1901 census.