HC Deb 13 December 2000 vol 359 c166W
Mrs. Ellman

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to release the remaining records relating to King Edward VIII. [141634]

Mr. Lock

The public records relating to King Edward VIII that have not been released are closed for up to 100 years but this closure period is kept under constant review.

Mrs. Ellman

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to decrease the length of time royal records remain closed to the public. [141635]

Mr. Lock

The Open Government White Paper (July 1993), under which access to public records relating to the royal family is determined, provides that such records are treated in the same way as all other records and only closed for longer than 30 years if they fall into one of the three criteria governing closure (Para. 9.2). Guidance on the length of time that royal records remain closed to the public is under review in the light of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Forward to