§ Helen JacksonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will list those public organisations which are responsible for the maintenance of their own public records and exempt from supervision by the Public Record Office; and what powers he has to ensure that such bodies keep proper records to the standards applied by the Public Record Office. [160542]
§ Mr. LockUnder the Public Records Act 1958 s.3(1–2), all bodies holding public records are responsible for their maintenance, and do so under the guidance, supervision and co-ordination of the Keeper of Public Records. No public records body is exempt from the supervision of the Public Record Office.
All public authorities will be subject to the Lord Chancellor's Code of Practice for records management under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Work is ongoing with the Information Commissioner to establish the division of responsibility for the supervision of records management in public authorities.
The Public Records Act 1958 allows for selected public records of enduring historical value to be held in places outside the Public Record Office by deposit under s.4(1) of the Act. The Keeper of Public Records may withdraw place of deposit status from an office if appropriate standards of public records storage and access are not maintained.