§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many files were retained from public scrutiny for a further 25 years; and what was the general subject matter by category, contained in them.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonOver the last 12 months, a total of 77 files with special closure periods—longer than 30 years—were transferred by Scottish Office Departments to the Scottish Record Office. They included information that was supplied in confidence and documents containing private information about individuals. As such, they fell within the Government's published guidelines on extended or special closures.