§ Lord Teviotasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they intend to publish the Report of the Wilson Committee on Modern Public Records.
The Lord ChancellorThe report is published today. The warmest thanks are due to Sir Duncan Wilson and the other members of the committee for a valuable and comprehensive report which I am sure will make a major contribution to the policy in this field. The committee have concluded that the system proposed in the Grigg Report of 1954, and which formed the basis of the Public Records Act 1958, amended in 1967 is still basically sound. Nevertheless, in the light of changing requirements and developing technology, the committee have made 61 recommendations for improving the present system and ensuring that work on public records receives the attention and resources it demands. No major statutory changes are proposed.
The Government will naturally give the closest consideration to these recommendations, particularly in the light of other and necessarily competing, demands on manpower and resources. I would welcome comments, preferably within the next three months, which those interested in the public records would care to send. Such comments will be taken carefully into account when the Government forumulate decisions.