Asked by: Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last reviewed the possible resumption of producing official histories.
Answered by Lord Young of Cookham
The Government’s official history series is intended to provide authoritative histories in their own right.
Two volumes of Criminal Justice history were published earlier this year. The next publication is due out in autumn 2019.
Asked by: Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Whitehall History Publishing still exists; if so, (1) what is its role, and (2) how is it managed and by whom; and if not, who is responsible for the publication of material it previously produced.
Answered by Lord Young of Cookham
The Whitehall History Publishing, comprised of several historical branches of government departments and led by the Cabinet Office, produces material on historical matters and themes to meet individual departmental requirements. The next publication is due out in autumn 2019.
Asked by: Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the arrangements for preserving departmental archives; and when the Cabinet Secretary last reviewed record management practices.
Answered by Lord Young of Cookham
The National Archives monitors departments’ compliance with the Public Records Act 1958 and progress towards transition to the 20 year rule. The Chief Executive and Keeper updates the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport annually on the 20 year rule transition and engages with the Cabinet Secretary and Permanent Secretaries where necessary.
John Manzoni wrote to all other Permanent Secretaries in January 2019 to brief them about digital records management.
Asked by: Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the arrangements for preserving departmental archives, including the role of the Cabinet Secretary.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
Each government department is responsible for managing its own records up to the point when such records are transferred to the National Archives. This complies with the Lord Chancellor’s Code of Practice on the management of records issued under section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
The Cabinet Secretary has commissioned two recent reviews of record management practices. The first covered the arrangements for the annual release of departmental papers to the National Archives and was published in November 2014. The second, which was published earlier this month, focuses on the transition from paper-based to electronic record keeping; HM Government has accepted all the recommendations of the review and will begin to implement the actions he recommends through the course of 2016.