§ Harry CohenTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which Departments and agencies have(a) applied for extended closure of records and (b) applied to the Lord Chancellor for permission to retain records over 30 years; how many applications were made in each category and how many were granted; if she will list by title each record retained in this way; and what arrangements there are for their review for public disclosure. [35242]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe tables show for 2001, the most recent complete year, by Department, the number of applications for extended closure (Table A) or retention (Table B) and the number approved. An application can618W cover anything from a small extract from a page in a file to a large collection of records. Three formal applications were rejected.
The full lists of all public records subject to extended closure and retention are kept at the Public Record Office at Kew and are freely available for public inspection there.
More precise details can be found for most of the records that are subject to extended closure or retention by consulting the PRO online catalogue (http://catalogue.pro.gov.uk/). For records not yet transferred to the PRO, the Department holding the records has these details rather than the PRO.
Permission for retention or extended closure is given for a precise finite period. It is the responsibility of Departmental Record Officers to ensure that the records are re-reviewed, and of the Records Management Department of the PRO to supervise this process.
Researchers who require access to records held by the PRO and catalogued as closed, or to historical records still held by Departments, should first ask the PRO to check their status. If the records are closed or retained, researchers can apply for a review of access restrictions. They should write to the Departmental Record Officer of the Department that created the records (or its successor) quoting the PRO reference where this is known. Such requests are handled in the order in which they are received except where the information is urgently required for legal purposes.
Table A: Applications for extended closure of public records in 2001 Department Number of applications Number of applications granted Cabinet Office 13 13 The Court Service 313 313 Crown Prosecution Service 3 3 Ministry of Defence 13 13 Department for Education and Skills 1 1 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 104 101 Department of Health 16 16 Home Office 11 11 Department for International Development 5 5 Legal Services Commission (England and Wales) 30 30 Lord Chancellor's Department 1 1 Metropolitan Police Office 17 17 Prime Minister's Office 10 10 Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions1 1 1 HM Treasury 1 1 Department for Work and Pensions 8 8 United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority 1 1 1Formerly Department of Social Security 619W
Table B: Applications for retention of public records in 2001 Department Number of applications Number of applications granted Cabinet Office 15 15 HM Customs and Excise 1 1 Ministry of Defence 19 19 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs1 4 4 English Partnerships 1 1 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 38 38 Forestry Commission 1 1 Home Office 4 4 Department for International Development 2 2 Legal Services Commission (England and Wales) 1 1
Table B: Applications for retention of public records in 2001 Department Number of applications Number of applications granted Metropolitan police Office 2 2 National Weights and Measures Laboratory 1 1 Northern Ireland Office 1 1 Office for National Statisitics 2 2 Prime Minister's Office 4 4 Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions2 3 3 HM Treasury 21 21 United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority 7 7 1 Formerly Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 2 Formerly Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions