§ Viscount SANDONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury up to what year have all official documents in the various Departments, without any exception and including those as to secret or intelligence service, been made available for publication for reasons of historical record; and whether, without interfering with the public interest, he could now name a later date up to which the unreserved use of all documents could be permitted?
Mr. SAMUELThe following Departmental records are open to public inspection and available for publication without special permission:
To. 1878:
- Admiralty.
- Board of Trade.
- Colonial Office.
- Foreign Office.
- Home Office.
- Lord Steward's Office.
- Paymaster-General's Office.
- Privy Council Office.
- War Office.
To 1850:
- Exchequer and Audit Office.
- National Debt Office.
- Treasury.
To 1837:
- Lord Chamberlain's Office.
In all these cases the documents are open without exception, save for a few classes of War Office, Admiralty and Treasury papers, which are open subject to certain restrictions. Generally speaking, the practice is based on the recommendation of an expert Committee of 1908. As recently as in 1924, the progress of disclosure recommended by that Committee was accelerated, with the result shown above. I am advised that it is not at present convenient to name later dates to which the records shall be open.