§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the date and title of the oldest document or archival unit retained by his Department which has not been passed on to the Public Record Office for release for public inspection. [7203]
§ Mr. StrawThe oldest documents retained in the Home Office under section 3(4) of the Public Records Act 1958 date from 1876. They are concerned with matters relating to national security. It had earlier been decided that it would not be in the public interest to disclose their nature. Now that the matter has been drawn to my attention by the hon. Member's question, I have asked that this decision be reviewed, given the antiquity of the files in question.