§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Trade how he proposes to dispose of the documentation held by the now defunct Registry of Business Names; and if he will ensure that the documentation will not be sold to private individuals or firms.
§ Dr. Vaughan[pursuant to his reply, 22 March 1982, c. 229]: The records are now being dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Public Records Act 1958, in respect of registrations for England and Wales, and under that Act and the Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937 in respect of Scottish registrations.
In the case of England and Wales, certain records are being selected for transfer to the Public Record Office for permanent preservation and public access; as an alternative to destruction, and subject to the approval of the Lord Chancellor, others may be made available to the London, Birmingham and Cardiff chambers of commerce, as being the only bodies which have been able to accept the conditions attached by the Government to the disposal of such records. The only financial contribution to public funds to be expected will be from the waste paper value of those documents which are to be destroyed.
Because of the smaller number of registrations, the Scottish Record Office proposes to preserve and maintain public access to all documentation relating to former registrations in Scotland.