HOUSE of LORDS RECORD OFFICE the P Arliamentary Archives
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HOUSE of LORDS RECORD OFFICE Archives The Parliamentary Parliamentary The Annual Review 2003 – 2004 Archives The Parliamentary Parliamentary The The House of Lords Record Office (The Parliamentary Archives) holds the records of both Houses of Parliament which date from 1497. You can find more information about us on our pages at the Parliamentary website www.parliament.uk To make an enquiry or to arrange to use the Search Room contact: By e-mail: [email protected] By letter: House of Lords Record Office London SW1A OPW By telephone: 020 7219 3074 By fax: 020 7219 2570 HOUSE of LORDS RECORD OFFICE Archives Annual Parliamentary The Review 2003 – 2004 London:The Stationery Office 2 ANNUAL REVIEW 2003–2004 Archives Supporting Parliament by The Parliamentary Parliamentary The safeguarding and providing ready access to its records his annual review of the year that ended on 31 March 2004 describes the work Tof the House of Lords Record Office (The Parliamentary Archives) in supporting the administrations of each House of Parliament in their core tasks of maintaining the heritage of buildings, objects and documents, and providing the public with information and access. It is easy to forget when recalling the benefits. Roll-out of the Parliament wide highlights of any year that it is not just the file classification scheme is on target for initiatives and projects that are important, completion later this year and plans for but also what we call business as usual. developing and approving disposal practices Our challenge is to maintain the continuity for records described in the scheme are well of our Parliamentary and public-facing advanced.The Office continued to have services whilst pursuing initiatives for their a prominent role in identifying strategies improvement against a background of raised for Parliamentary use of EDRM (electronic user expectations and change in our document and records management) and managerial and professional environments. related technologies. This review is intended to provide an insight The Freedom of Information Officer into these activities for users of our services is overseeing final preparations for the inside and outside Parliament and our application of the Freedom of Information professional colleagues in the United and Data Protection Acts to the House Kingdom and overseas. of Lords in January 2005.The House of Commons, a separate public authority Records management and within the terms of the acts, is responsible information access for its own arrangements. In spite of recruitment difficulties steady progress was made with the application Archive services of corporate records management policies, The Victoria Tower repository has almost which will assist compliance by the completed its second major phase of administrations of each House with the renovation in the 140 years that it has housed Freedom of Information and Data the records of Parliament bringing it up to Protection Acts and deliver business ANNUAL REVIEW 2003–2004 3 modern day standards for the preservation dedication and propensity to innovate, of archives.The effectiveness of our public augmented by highly competent and willing services were maintained despite the volunteers and work placements.The latter logistical difficulties of providing access to were indispensable in minimising the records during the building work and staff impact of several departures and protracted changes during the year. Options were recruitment exercises. Staff of the Office considered for improving facilities for onsite display enthusiasm for their own personal users to access online, original and surrogate and professional development, but they resources. now benefit from embedded standards of good practice in line with the commitment The automation project, now moving into of the House of Lords to seek Investors in the last of the five years set aside for the People accreditation. retrospective conversion of finding aids, has continued to meet its targets and is within budget. Public access to the Plans for 2004-2005 catalogue (known as Portcullis) was launched • Final preparations for bringing the successfully in the Search Room and full House of Lords administration under remote access via the Parliamentary website the Freedom of Information Act and is due in 2005. Data Protection Act in January 2005. Outreach activities that use the unique • Completion of the file classification documentary resources of the archives scheme in both Houses; further progress to support public understanding of the in establishing disposal practices for functions and activities of Parliament Parliamentary records; and continued included further enhancements to the focus on EDRM. Office website as a platform for highlighting A revised acquisition policy will be specific aspects of the collections and for • implemented to inform selection of special projects such as Archives Awareness departmental records and to establish Month in September 2003. Attention was criteria for acquiring records from also focused on our own domain including external sources by gift or purchase. publication of a leaflet about the archives for Members of both Houses and a series • Launch of internet access to the of talks for the all party Arts and Heritage online archive catalogue Portcullis Group of Members. With the approval and implementation of its automated of the relevant House committees the document ordering and management display cases in the Royal Gallery on the information modules. public line of route were replaced providing Preparatory work will be undertaken better access for viewing and care for the • for an exhibition concerning the documents. 1605 Gunpowder Plot to be held in Westminster Hall in 2005 and for Staff a complementary online resource. Achievements across the range of our activities are a tribute to the individual and collective efforts of our staff, who have Stephen Ellison applied their skills with their customary Clerk of the Records 4 ANNUAL REVIEW 2003–2004 Archives The strategic framework for the work The Parliamentary Parliamentary The of the Parliamentary Archives Aims • providing a records management and • ensuring compliance of the House of archive service for each House of Lords’administration with Freedom Parliament and making the archives of Information and Data Protection accessible to the public. legislation. Key objectives support delivery of the four core tasks of the Parliamentary Archives: Records management Preservation • to develop, implement and sustain • to provide sufficient suitable repository policies for a best practice and corporate storage to preserve the archives in approach to the management of accordance with recognised professional the current records of each House standards. of Parliament. • to assist preservation of the archives • to develop, implement and sustain by their conservation and the provision policies for compliance of the House of surrogate copies. of Lords’ administration with the Freedom of Information Act and the Access and outreach Data Protection Act, and to provide to provide an up-to-date catalogue advice about their application. • of the archives conforming to recognised professional standards. Selection and acquisition to provide a public service for the to ensure that records created or held • • inspection and copying of records, by Parliament which are worthy of and the answering of enquiries. permanent preservation are selected for archiving. • to promote awareness of the archives and history of Parliament as a core resource to acquire other records that contribute • for research, lifelong learning and leisure. significantly to the understanding of the history and workings of Parliament. ANNUAL REVIEW 2003–2004 5 Archives Records Management The Parliamentary Parliamentary The ecords management brings business benefits to offices and departments and creates an effective culture in which to manage R electronic records, as well as assisting compliance with information access legislation. In recognition of its value to the everyday work of Parliament records management is, as the following declarations of intent show, a corporate priority for the administrations of both Houses: “To ensure that records in all media are created, used and disposed of in accordance with the business, legal, evidential and archival needs of the House by applying recognised standards and best practice in records management” - a primary task identified in the House of Lords Strategic Plan 2003-2008 “To develop an integrated approach to information management in paper and electronic formats which supports business processes, complies with Freedom of Information and Data Protection requirements and guarantees effective management of records” - a corporate goal of the House of Commons administration In support of these aims, and following essential linkage for the operation of records on the previous year’s approval of new disposal policies and the management posts, two Assistant Records Managers of electronic records.The scheme is based were appointed, thus bringing Parliament on Keyword AAA, a functional thesaurus the benefit of a team to support records and classification scheme developed by the management implementation in both State Authority of New South Wales, and Houses. used widely in the public sector in Australia. Implementation of the scheme in both The main activities of the records Houses is due to be completed in 2004. management team in developing and implementing agreed joint policies for Lords and Commons have