§ Ms RyanTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how he plans to take forward policy on the legal deposit of publications following the response to the consultation paper published in February 1997. [26339]
§ Mr. Chris SmithThe consultation period closed on 11 April 1997. One hundred and sixty one organisations and individuals submitted responses. I am grateful to them for taking the trouble to address the issues which the consultation paper discussed, and for submitting their views. I have placed a summary of the results of the consultation exercise in the Libraries of the House.
239WThe Government believe that it is extremely important to ensure that material published in this country is incorporated into our national archive irrespective of the medium used. The arrangements for legal deposit, which are concerned primarily with published material in print form, underpin the nation's academic, research and educational sectors. We intend to ensure that these benefits extend also to material published in format other than print. But in so doing, we recognise the need to minimise the burden that such arrangements might place on the publishing industry.
I am therefore establishing a working group, chaired by Sir Anthony Kenny, comprising representatives of the British Library and legal deposit libraries, the British Film Institute, and publishing sectors. The working group will be asked:
- (i) To advise on how an effective nation archive of non-print material might be achieved, taking into account the need to minimise the burden on publishers, the need to safeguard deposited material from unauthorised use, the archival value of the material, and the scope for making deposited material available among legal deposit libraries through secure IT networks;
- (ii) To draw up and agree a voluntary code of practice to achieve deposit of electronic and microform publications until such time as the Government may decide to introduce legislation;
- (ii) To ensure that such arrangements are compatible, where appropriate, with the existing arrangements for the voluntary deposit of films and sound recordings;
The Government will keep under review the case for introducing legislation to extend legal deposit to these additional categories of publication. We will take account of the working group's recommendations and the extent to which the voluntary code meets the reasonable current and future needs of those requiring access to deposit material.
The Government do not for the present plan to make any amendments to the system for print publications under which up to six copies are deposited, although we will expect the legal deposit libraries to operate together
Table 1: Incidence of small intestine, colon and rectum cancer (ICD9, 152–154) England and Wales 1983 to 1992 Year Small intestine (ICD9, 152) cases males Small intestine (ICD9, 152) cases females Colon (ICD9, 153) cases males Colon (ICD9, 153) cases females Rectum (ICD9, 154) cases males Rectum (ICD9, 154) cases females 1983 179 180 6,907 8,667 5,547 4,636 1984 173 171 6,983 8,611 5,599 4,569 1985 196 176 7,237 8,992 5,875 4,649 1986 167 172 7,053 8,876 5,572 4,523 1987 187 172 7,569 9,237 5,625 4,566 1988 181 193 7,727 9,403 5,834 4,586 1989 176 199 8,000 9,347 5,855 4,715 1990 177 190 8,047 9,355 5,934 4,502 1991 219 185 8,069 9,403 5,826 4,441 19921 243 213 8,419 9,790 6,250 4,745 Note:
1 Provisional Monitor MB1 97/1 Registrations of cancer diagnosed in 1992, England and Wales (1997).
Source:
ONS.
240Wto ensure that the burden on publishers is reduced through greater selectivity and co-operation. The working group will therefore also be asked:
(iv) To advise on the scope for developing the existing arrangements for the deposit of printed publications with a view to ensuring greater co-operation between the different legal deposit libraries, encouraging greater selectivity in the material claimed from publishers, and the scope for developing IT networking solutions which can in the longer term be used to reduced the statutory burden on publishers in complying with the deposit arrangements.In the light of the responses to the consultation paper, we are not convinced that there is a sufficient case for establishing an additional legal deposit library in Northern Ireland. Users of legal deposit material who live in Northern Ireland are able to gain access to it at the other legal deposit libraries. It would also take many years for an additional legal deposit library to build up a collection which would provide significant benefits to users.
I have, however, asked the working group to include in its work under item (i) examination of the scope for improved access in Northern Ireland to deposited material through IT networking. A representative from Northern Ireland will be appointed to the working group.
I have asked the Working Group to report to me on these matters within six months.