Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the National Archives file 'Organophosphate poisoning to farmers caused by sheep dip' (PIN 21/843) is open in its entirety and, if not, for what reasons any redactions have been made.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
When The National Archives identifies information in an ‘open’ record which engages, or is likely to engage, an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the record in question has its access status amended to ‘Access Under Review’, which temporarily prevents the record from being orderable by members of the public.
Officials at The National Archives can confirm that the record (PIN 21/843) will revert to being orderable again shortly once the appropriate assessment of its status under the Freedom of Information Act has been carried out.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions are being taken at national level to preserve and enhance a public library system which takes account of the uses and demands of new technology.
Answered by Lord Newby
Library services are increasingly thinking of ways to serve the community in the 21st century and are constantly looking at ways they can provide a service to their users using available new technology. WiFi is available in various public libraries, with the number of locations offering this service continuing to increase. Many libraries already provide e-books for their users and the Government recently extended the Public Lending Right to e-books for on-site lending. Various libraries are being equipped with new equipment such as advanced reading technology to enable blind and partially sighted people access to digital and physical information. Libraries are also evolving their services - Exeter library now offers a Fab Lab which is a low-cost digital workshop equipped with laser-cutters, routers, 3D scanners, 3D milling machines, and programming tools, where you can "make almost anything.