To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 984W, on the Abortion (Amendment) Bill of Session 1979-80, for what reasons two files were destroyed; what the (a) prefix and (b) title of these files was; what criteria are used by his Department on reviewing files; and if he will make a statement. (182666)

File E/A0223/251/vB—“Draft and Notes and clauses—Abortion Amendment Bill” was destroyed in 2005. File E/A0223/191—“Abortion Act 1967 John Corrie’s Abortion Amendment Bill” was destroyed in 2004. Both files were destroyed following a second review of the contents, 25 years after the files were started.

The criteria used in respect of these files were set out in the Manual of Records Administration published by the then Public Record Office.