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Volume 175: debated on Monday 2 July 1990

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To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria he uses when deciding which documents to pass on to the Public Record Office.

The Department complies with the guidelines issued by the Public Record Office on the selection of documents for permanent preservation. Decisions on which documents are transferred to the Public Record Office for this purpose are taken in consultation with PRO inspecting officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of and how many documents in 1989 he estimates were (a) passed on to the Public Record Office intact, (b) passed on to the Public Record Office in censored form, (c) retained by his Department in full, (d) retained by his Department in part, (e) destroyed, (f) otherwise disposed of and (g) otherwise unaccounted for.

Department of Trade and Industry estimates relate to files reviewed and are for (a) 4·3 per cent·–4,463, (b) nil, (c) 7·3 per cent. –7,540 retained for second review, (d) nil, (e) 88·4 per cent. –91,339, (f) nil, (g) nil.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what system he employes to classify, log and otherwise record each document generated by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

The Department of Trade and Industry raises and registers files by number and title, incorporating relevant documents, using widely accepted filing conventions for paper records.