§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make MI5's history of its operations from 1908 to 1945 available for commercial publication. [67981]
§ Mr. StrawThe Public Record Office released the first tranche of Security Service records relating to World War II on 27 January. Records relating to the period 1909–19 were released, in November 1997. The Security Service is reviewing the remaining records covering World War II and those for the inter-war years.
Once released by the Public Record Office, such records are in the public domain but may be subject to copyright in the usual way.
The Lord Chancellor's Advisory Council on Public Records, chaired by Lord Woolf, has recently conducted, at my request, a review of the criteria used by the Security Service in deciding whether to retain files on grounds of historical interest. I will be publishing their report and announcing my conclusions on their recommendations as soon as possible.