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Written question asked by Lord Boateng (Labour) on Wednesday, 29 January 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 12 February 2020. It was answered by Baroness Barran (Conservative) on Tuesday, 18 February 2020 on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Public Records: Commonwealth

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to give access to documents held on Commonwealth nations and their independence movements to Commonwealth scholars unable to visit the National Archives without access to funding to meet current charges for copying and postage.

Answer

As a government department, The National Archives is obliged to charge for some of its public services, including research and record copying. These charges, agreed with HM Treasury, are set out in the Fees Regulations issued under the Public Records Act (1958) and are based on recovering the costs of providing these services. Digitised records on The National Archives’ website are always free to search but a charge of £3.50 per download generally applies to view the full transcription or download digital copies.


In line with its strategic vision of ‘Archives for Everyone’, The National Archives is engaged in a range of activities that aim to expand its audience and enhance access to its collections, both on site at its buildings at Kew and online. Recognising the particular interest in Commonwealth nations in a range of the public records in its collection, The National Archives is in ongoing and active dialogue with its peer institutions in Commonwealth nations, particularly through its membership of the International Council on Archives (ICA) and its leadership of the ICA’s Forum of National Archivists.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL899
Session
2019-21
Subjects
Commonwealth Fees and charges Public records Independence movements National Archives
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk