HC Deb 10 May 2004 vol 421 cc113-4W
Mr. Borrow

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs in which year MyFamily.com. Inc. is likely to make the census for(a) 1861, (b) 1871, (c) 1881 and (d) 1891 available on the internet. [171705]

Mr. Leslie

The census returns 1861–1891 for England and Wales are included in the non-exclusive licence granted by the National Archives to MyFamily.com. The timing of the public release or the material covered by non-exclusive licences is entirely a matter for the company concerned.

MyFamily.com has announced on its website that the 1891 Census returns for England and Wales are now available online. The 1871 Census returns are also in the early stages of release on their website. There is currently no information on its website relating to the release of the 1861 or 1881 Census returns.

Mr. Borrow

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the nonexclusive licence was granted to MyFamily.com Inc. to digitise the decennial population census return from 1841 to 1901; and at what rate a royalty charge is made for the licence. [171706]

Mr. Leslie

MyFamily.com was granted a non-exclusive licence agreement with the National Archives to digitise and distribute images of the enumerators' census returns for England and Wales 1841–1891 in June 2002, with a subsequent amendment in September 2002 to include the 1901 Census returns.

In line with HMSO guidelines, the royalty rate for such a non-exclusive licence is a flat 7 per cent. of net revenues.

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