Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance the National Archives has given to Departments on the retention of responses to consultations and calls for evidence.

The Secretary of State's Code of Practice on the Management of Records issued under section 46 the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Code) provides general guidance to departments and wider public authorities on the keeping, management and destruction of records. The Keeper of Public Records supervises and guides departments in their selection of public records for permanent preservation under section 3(2) of the Public Records Act 1958, issuing a high-level records collection policy. Individual departments make decisions on how long to retain their records in line with this guidance. There is no guidance in the Code or otherwise issued by The National Archives relating specifically to consultations or calls for evidence.