§ Sir Richard BodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 October 1998,Official Report, column 59, if he will make a statement on his policy on the preservation of material of historical value held on file by the security services relating to the 1975 referendum on United Kingdom membership of the Common Market. [60444]
§ Mr. StrawThe responsibility for decisions on the destruction of Security Service files rests with the Director General. The criteria which the Service applies in deciding whether to retain files on the grounds of historical interest were listed in my reply to a question from the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) 725W on 20 January 1998, Official Report, columns 519-20. The criteria are currently being reviewed by the Advisory Council on Public Records.