Skip to main content

Official Documents: Twelvetrees Crescent Warehouse

Volume 686: debated on Tuesday 7 November 2006

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the estimated financial cost to the Government of the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; whether government property was covered by suitable insurance; whether they implemented a disaster recovery operation; and when Ministers were informed of the loss of government property.[HL7905]

The National Archives (TNA) has collected further detail from those public bodies that reported losses in the Iron Mountain warehouse fire. Because of the varied nature of the information provided, it is not practicable to make an overall estimate of the financial cost to government. However, the information collected on costs, insurance, recovery planning and reporting to Ministers has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What files were lost by the Crown Estate in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; what impact these losses will have on the Crown Estate; whether any work or projects will be delayed or abandoned asa result of the fire; and what costs were incurred.[HL7907]

The Crown Estate had 220 boxes of legal documents stored at Iron Mountain, of which 65 were destroyed in the fire. This amounted to around 7,300 documents ranging in date from 1968 to 2005. The documents were leases, deeds, conveyances, licences and the like, some expired and some current.

The immediate impact has been low to date, since the documents have not so far been required. A small pilot study has been undertaken to retrieve copies of some of the documents from other sources, mainly the Crown Estate's own back-up files, and copies of all documents in the pilot were retrieved. No current work or projects will be delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire.

To date, the actual costs incurred are legal costs in obtaining advice on the Crown Estate's potential claim against Iron Mountain and the time and management costs of the Crown Estate's personnel in retrieving copies of documents in the pilot retrieval exercise and any photocopying expenses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What files were lost by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; what impact these losses will have on the institute; whether any work or projects will be affected, delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire; and what costs were incurred.[HL8040]

The files lost in this fire were 71 boxes of scientific test records from the National Institute for Biological Standards and Controls (NIBSC) immunology, haematology and bacteriology divisions and some staff health records of former employees.

Most of the consequences of the losses are contingent on future events. The loss of the scientific records could make replacement of some future international standards more demanding on the NIBSC and collaborating laboratories, although only one of the 15 standards concerned is likely to be replaced in the foreseeable future. The loss of the staff health records might hinder the institute's response to any future legal action by a past employee. The institute is not aware of any such action being considered by any former staff member whose records were affected.

No projects will be abandoned as a result of the fire and no current projects depend on these records. Many test materials are also archived and remain available if the documentary records of their test results do not.

The financial value of the documents lost is impossible to define. So far, the costs incurred by the NIBSC have been modest staff costs for assessing the loss.