§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Prime Minister what public records are held in respect of communications held between his predecessor and Mr. Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada, about the marriage of the late Duke of Windsor; and if he will make a statement. [288]
§ The Prime MinisterCommunications that concern the marriage of the late Duke of Windsor took place between the then Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, and Mr. Mackenzie King in late 1936. Like all papers relating to the abdication, these are currently closed until 2037 by agreement between the then Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor in 1976. However, as with the generality of papers held for more than 30 years, these papers will be reviewed and, while it is expected that many will26W continue to to be sensitive for some time to come, it is not ruled out that it may be possible to release them earlier than 2037.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Prime Minister (1) what consideration led to the decision not to release to the Public Record Office certain papers relating to the conduct of the Duke of Windsor during the second world war, as indicated in his answer of 3 November,Official Report, column 478; [342]
(2) if copies of all communications this century between heads of state of other countries and the United Kingdom monarch are (a) lodged in the Public Record Office or (b) lodged exclusively in the royal archives; and whether all such documents are available for public inspection regardless of where they are lodged. [904]
§ The Prime MinisterDocuments held by Government Departments are released to the Public Record Office after 30 years in accordance with the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967, unless they meet criteria which allow them, with the Lord Chancellor's approval, to be withheld for longer. These criteria, which apply equally to records relating to the royal family, were recently revised and are set out in the White Paper on open government, Command Paper 2290 published in July 1993. Records withheld for longer than 30 years under the earlier criteria are being re-reviewed in the light of the revised criteria.
Copies of communications belonging to the sovereign are lodged in the royal archives and access is a matter for the Keeper of the Royal Archives.