§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Attorney-General what criteria the Lord Chancellor uses in determining the additional period for which papers withheld from the Public Record Office after 30 years should remain closed; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralRecords may be closed for periods longer than 30 years under section 5(1) of the Public Records Act 1958 and in accordance with the criteria set out in paragraphs 26 and 27 of the White Paper "Modern Public Records", Cmnd. 8531, March 1982. The period of closure is determined by reference to the particular nature of the record in question.