My right honourable friend the Minister of State (Michael Wills) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

I am today publishing a consultation document, Archives for the 21st Century, asking for views on the Government’s proposed new policy for archival services.

Archive services contribute greatly to a modern democratic society: they are the custodians of the nation’s collective memory and an integral part of a healthy democracy. A high proportion of our archival heritage is held by nearly 300 publicly funded archive services within local authorities and universities. Their core mission is to acquire and preserve records from a wide range of sources relating to a particular local or specialist topic and to make these as accessible as possible for public use.

The consultation document sets out the Government’s vision for a vibrant archival sector, one that works closely with and supports the communities served and that maximises opportunities to make archives accessible to an even wider range of people.  It also seeks to build the foundations for a more sustainable future for the sector, responding to the challenges of the digital information age.

The Government are seeking views on the main proposals to help meet these challenges. They are:

working towards increased sustainability within the sector through the integration and collaboration of services;

strengthened leadership and a more responsive, skilled workforce;

a co-ordinated response to the growing challenge of managing digital information so that it is accessible now and remains discoverable in the future;

comprehensive online access for archive discovery through catalogues and to digitised archive content by citizens at a time and place that suits them; and

active participation in cultural and learning partnerships promoting a sense of identity and place within the community.

This consultation, which closes on 12 August 2009, is accompanied by impact and equality assessments. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the both Houses. It can also be accessed via the National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archivesconsultation.