HC Deb 06 February 1995 vol 254 cc9-10W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) if he will list the main principles governing the release of documents held in the Public Record Office relating to the trials and executions for murder in British gaols on application by next of kin or their legal representatives for the purpose of pursuing a case for posthumous pardon;

(2) what is his Department's policy in relation to the application of the 75-year-rule, and requests made for reducing it with regard to papers held in the Public Record Office relating to the trial and execution for murder in British gaols, by the next of kin for the purpose of pursuing the case for a posthumous pardon; what policy his Department has on charging for photocopying of such records for such purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John M. Taylor

All assize records over 30 years old and closed for 75 years are being re-reviewed in line with the provisions of the White Paper on open government, chapter 9. Dependent on the nature of the inquiry from the next of kin, documents are either made available to them, or they are invited to visit my Department to read the file. Public Record Office charges for photocopies from files and my Department follows the same course of action. After review, and where sensitivity has passed, files are being released into the public domain.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when his Department received the application to supply copies of the papers relating to the trial for the murder of Lily Vo1pert, and execution in Cardiff gaol in 1952 of Mahmood Hussein Mattan: on what date the records were located at the Cardif Public

many of the total applications were accepted; how many of these were from ethnic minority applicants.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The figures for each of the advisory committees on justices of the peace in the Greater London area for the last three years are as follows:

Record Office; and on what date the Mattan family and their solicitor were informed of their existence.

Mr. John M. Taylor

A letter dated 2 September 1994 was received by the Court of Appeal on 6 September 1994, and passed to my Department's record section for action. They requisitioned Mattan's case file from the Public Record Office at Kew on 8 September 1994, and supplied copies of documents from the file to the solicitors under cover of a letter dated 16 September 1994.