§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with the Lord Chancellor's Department in regard to the withholding of departmental records on Anglo-American mutual defence co-operation under section 3(4) of the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967, in preparation for the most recent release of official papers from the Public Records Office.
§ Mr. HanleyIn accordance with the Public Records Act 1958, MOD records withheld under section 3(4) are reviewed, on a rolling programme, every 10 years. Records may be withheld individually or under blanket arrangements, covering certain classes or records such as those relating to security, intelligence and nuclear matters.
Records may continue to be withheld under the blanket arrangements without reference to the Lord Chancellor. Individual records withheld require separate reference to the Lord Chancellor for his approval.
Due to the very large number of records reviewed under these procedures it is not possible to identify, without disproportionate cost, records which may have been withheld under a very broad category such as Anglo-American defence co-operation.