§ Mr. Kenneth BakerTo ask the Prime Minister whether the 30-year rule applies to the handwritten records of each Cabinet meeting; and, after the lapse of this time, whether they will be open to public scrutiny.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Cabinet Secretary's handwritten records of Cabinet meetings are regarded as subject to the Public Records Acts which make provision for the release of public records after 30 years. Section 3(4) of the 1958 Act permits the retention of such records for longer than 30 years, subject to the Lord Chancellor's approval.
The question of the release of the notebooks was considered in the summer of 1993, in accordance with a recommendation in the Wilson committee's report on "Modern Public Records", Cmnd. 8204. The Lord Chancellor has approved the continued retention of the notebooks. It is proposed that a further review will take place in 10 years' time.