§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress the Secret Intelligence Service has made in releasing its archives into the public domain since 1 May 1997; and how many files from its archives have been transferred to the Public Record Office since 1 May 1997. [107400]
§ Mr. StrawI refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 12 February 1998,Official Report, column 324. The policy set out in the first part of that answer has not changed. Since 1 May 1997, the Secret Intelligence Service has transferred to the Public Record Office five batches of files which it inherited from the wartime Special Operations Executive (SOE), in PRO classes HS5 to HS9, comprising some 4,954 pieces.