HC Deb 24 July 1996 vol 282 c456W
Mr. Miller

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who will hold archives of parliamentary papers(a) in paper form and (b) in electronic form, currently held by HMSO following the proposed privatisation; and what estimate he has made of their value. [39624]

Mr. Freeman

The national archive of parliamentary papers in paper form is held by the British Library and not HMSO. This archive will be unaffected by the privatisation. HMSO's own archive of parliamentary papers is held as a mixture of paper and microfilm. It is extensive but not comprehensive. HMSO has only a limited archive of material in electronic formats.

The draft contract between the House and the privatised stationery office sets out the periods for which the Official Report and other papers must be kept in print by the stationery office. No valuation of this material has been made.