Public Record Office

HC Deb 09 July 1992 vol 211 c296W

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will set out those matters in regard to the Public Record Office for which he will in future answer parliamentary questions by referring the matter to the Keeper, following the establishment of the Public Record Office as an executive agency.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The Government's policy on answering questions on agency matters was most recently set out in the Government's reply to the Treasury and Civil Service Committee's 1991 report on the next steps initiative—Cm 1761—which saidIn normal circumstances the source of the reply should follow the allocation of responsibilities as between the Secretary of State and the Chief Executive in the Agency's framework document; but in all cases the decision on who will respond rests with the Minister.

The Lord Chancellor will be following this policy with regard to the Public Record Office. Copies of the Public Record Office's framework document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.