§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what value of pre-payment vouchers for 1901 Census Online sold by the Public Record Office(a) has been refunded, (b) is eligible for refund and (c) is ineligible for refund by virtue of having been opened. [52753]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe answers to the hon. Member's questions are as follows:
- (a) It is estimated that vouchers to a total value of £1,380 have been refunded, of which the PRO has refunded £560 and QinetiQ the remainder.
- (b) Total sales of vouchers to date amount to £285,000, some of which have been completely used or opened and partially used. All vouchers that remain intact may be returned by the purchaser to the point of purchase for a refund.
The value of vouchers which have been opened and are therefore ineligible for a refund is not known. However, their validity has been extended for a further six months, starting from the date when the online census service resumes.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when internet access will be restored for 1901 Census Online. [52921]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonGeneral online searches over the internet will be available as soon as practicable following the completion of the testing programme, which will include availability of the online census at the service centres.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much revenue the Public Record Office has received from the sale of pre-payment vouchers in connection with the 1901 Census Online service. [52752]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonUnder the terms of the PRO's PPP arrangements with QinetiQ Ltd., the latter is responsible for the sale of pre-payment vouchers. To date QinetiQ has received a total of £278,019 from the sale of these vouchers.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will instruct the Public Record Office to consult their counterparts in Scotland on lessons to be learned from the launch of an Online Census service in Scotland. [52751]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe two sites are very different in character—the Scottish census site manages 4.5 million names as opposed to 32.5 million names on the 1901 Census for England and Wales, and the present population of Scotland is approximately a tenth of that in England and Wales. The payment model chosen for the online sensus in Scotland imposes an initial £6 charge for access to the site and units of £6 thereafter. The 1901 Census for England and Wales has an entirely free index search facility, which can be used without any restriction; the 71W minimum fee for access to transcriptions or record images is £5, in return for which the user can obtain between six and ten copies. The PRO undertook extensive consultations with users who indicated that, out of a range of possible payment models, their preference was for a payment system based on the delivery of record images.