National Archives

Prison Service National Archives Order

ORDER NUMBER 1251

Issue No. 243 PSO 1251 page 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

This PSO provides instruction and guidance in the management of historic documents and related artefacts held by the Prison Service. It updates the previous version of PSO 1251 and reflects the closure of the Prison Service Museum at Newbold Revel and recent Open Government Legislation.

DESIRED OUTCOME

To ensure compliance with the Prison Service statutory obligations under the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967 also the Data Protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Information Act 2000.

MANDATORY ACTIONS

All Governors and Heads of Group should review any historical records or related artefacts held within their Units.

RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

IMPLEMENTATION DATE: 22 August 2005

(signed)

Michael Spurr Director of Operations Area/Operational Manager: Paul Carroll

Further advice or information on this PSO or the systems contained within it can be sought from: As listed at paragraph 5.

Issue No. 243 Issue date 2/7/05 PSO 1251 page 2

National Archives

1. Introduction

The coming into force of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoIA) and the decision to close the Prison Service Museum at Newbold Revel has changed the way in the way in which HMPS manages historical records and artefacts.

1.1 Under the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967 the Prison Service is required to preserve records selected for permanent preservation with a view to making them available to the public. There is also a wider duty to retain historical objects, such as those items formerly held by the Prison Service Museum.

2. Management of Historic Documents

2.1 On January 1 2005, the FoIA came into full effect. This gives individuals a wide-ranging right of access to official information held by public authorities such as the Prison Service, see PSO 9020, The Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. One effect of the Act is to do away with the ‘Thirty Year Rule’ whereby access to government files could be denied for a set period after they had been closed. Under the FoIA, all files are potentially accessible, whether or not a ‘closed’ period has been specified at some point in the past. This means that there is no cooling off period in which sensitivities can diminish.

2.2 It is likely that many establishments and headquarters units retain files after the normal destruction date because they were considered to be of historical value and candidates for eventual transfer to either The National Archives (TNA) or Local Archives. Because of the legislative changes outlined above, these closed files can be accessed with immediate effect by members of the public, subject to any FoIA exemptions. Where such a request is made the overhead involved in meeting it would have to be borne by the Prison Service.

2.3 For this reason, the procedures for managing historic records have been changed and the new procedures are as follows;

2.4 Governor or equivalent assesses whether the file or other papers are of sufficient historical significance to justify preservation at The National Archives at Kew. There is a statutory requirement for this work to be done under the supervision of TNA, who will also set the criteria to be followed. Advice on this can be sought from the Registry Manager at Branston, and the selection criteria to follow. If it is agreed that the file should be transferred to Kew, the Registry will make the necessary arrangements.

2.5 If it is agreed that either TNA or LRO will take the file it should be sent via the Registry where it will be vetted in line with the Freedom of Information and Data Protection Acts before it is transferred.

2.6 If the file is not of national significance, but is of local importance, it should be offered to the Local Record Office (LRO) who may wish to inspect the papers first. A list of LROs is attached at annex.

2.7 If neither TNA nor local archives want the file, and there is no ongoing operational requirement to hold the information, then it should be destroyed locally. The Registry at Branston cannot accept any material turned down by the archives. There is a statutory requirement for all of this work to be completed before the records reach 30 years of age.

3. Retention of long term operational records

3.1 The following files, no matter how old, must be retained:  plans of prisons still in use;  details of prison security arrangements.

Any request for access to such material should be referred to the Open Government Unit in line with the procedures set out in PSO 9020.

4. Historical Objects

4.1 As well as papers, the Prison Service holds a large number of objects that are of genuine interest to the general public. With the closure of the Prison Service Museum, it has been agreed that these objects will be held at The Galleries of Justice in Nottingham.

4.2 Photographs taken by officials in the course of their duty, e.g. ‘mug shot’ albums, are historic records that should be offered to TNA. If TNA do not select them, then they should be offered to an appropriate LRO or the Gallery of Justice, Nottingham.

4.3 Artefacts such as obsolete uniforms, items made by prisoners, prison fixtures and fittings etc, should be offered to The Galleries of Justice.

5. Contacts Registry: Tel No: 01283 740013

Open Government Unit: Tel No: 0207 217 5491

Home Office IRMS: Tel No: 0207 035 6021

The National Archives, Kew: Tel No: 0280 876 3444 [email protected]

For information about other organisations dealing with historical records visit: http://www.archon.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/ The Galleries of Justice, High Pavement, Lace Market, Nottingham, NG1 1HN (0115 952 0555) www.galleriesofjustice.org.uk

6. List of local archive offices:

Below is a list of local archive offices. All these places have been approved as “places of deposit” by The National Archives. You can also find details of record repositories at the following: http://www.archon.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/

ENGLAND

Repository Name Telephone Barking & Dagenham Archives 0208 592 8404 Barnet Archives 0208 359 2876 Barnsley Archive Service 01226 773950/773938 Bath City Record Office 01225 477421 Bedfordshire Record Office 01234 228833/228777 Berkshire Record Office 0118 901 5132 Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office 01289 330044 ext 275 Bexley Libraries & Museums Department 01322 526574 Birmingham City Archives 0121 303 4217 Bolton Archive & Local Studies Service 01204 522311 Brent Archives 0208 937 3540 Bristol Record Office 017 922 4224 Bromley Archives Service 0208 460 9955 Buckinghamshire Record Office 01296 382587 Burton-upon-Trent Archives 01283 239566 Bury Archive Service 0161 797 6697 Cambridgeshire Record Office, Cambridge 01223 717281 Cambridgeshire Record Office, Huntingdon 0123 718131 Camden Local Studies & Archives Centre 0207 413 6342 Centre for Kentish Studies 01622 694363 Cheshire Record Office 01244 602574 Chester City Record Office 01244 492110 Cleveland County Archives 01642 248321 Cornwall Record Office 01872 273698/323127

Repository name Telephone Corporation of London Record Office 0207 332 1250 Coventry City Record Office 01203 832418 Croydon Local Studies Library 0208 760 5400 ext 1112 Cumbria Record Office, Barrow 01229 894363 Cumbria Record Office, Carlisle 01228 607285 Cumbria Record Office, Kendal 01539 773540 Cumbria Record Office, Whitehaven 01946 852920 Derbyshire Record Office, Whitehaven 01629 580000 ext 35201 Devon Record Office 01392 384253 Doncaster Archives Department 01302 859811 Dorset Record Office 01305 250550 Dudley Archives & Local History Service 01834 812770 Durham Record Office 0191 383 3523/3474 Ealing Local History Library & Archive 0208 567 3656 ext 37 Service East Riding Record Office 01482 885044 East Sussex Record Office 01273 482349 Essex Record Office, Chelmsford 01245 430067 Essex Record Office, Colchester 01206 572099 Essex Record Office, Southend 01702 464278 Gloucestershire Record Office 01452 425295 Greater Manchester County Record Office 0161 8325284 Greenwich Local History Library 0208 858 4631 Guildhall Library 0207 332 1862/3 Hackney Archives Department 0207 241 2886 Hammersmith and Fulham Archives 0208 741 5159 Hampshire Record Office 01962 846154 Haringey Bruce Castle Museum 0208 808 8772 Hereford Record Office 01432 265441 Hertfordshire Record Office 01992 555105 Hillingdon Heritage Service 01895 250702 Hounslow Local Studies 0208 570 0622 ext 7892

Repository name Telephone Isle of Wight Record Office 01923 823820/1

Kensington & Chelsea Libraries & Arts 0207 361 3038 Service Knowsley Archives 0151 443 3738 Lambeth Archives Department 0207 926 6076 Lancashire Record Office 01772 263039 Leicestershire Record Office 0116 257 1080 Lewisham Local History Centre 0208 297 0682 Lichfield Record Office 01543 510720 Lincolnshire Archives 01522 526204 Liverpool Record Office 0151 225 5417 London Metropolitan Archives 0207 332 3820 Manchester City Archives Department 0161 832 5284 Merseyside Record Office 0151 236 8038 Newham Borough Archives 0208 557 8856 Norfolk Record Office, 01603 761349 North Devon Record Office, Norwich 01271 388603 Northamptonshire Record Office 01604 762129 Northumberland Record Office, 0191 236 2680 Nottinghamshire Archives 0115 958 1634/950 4524 Oldham Archives Service 0161 911 4654 Oxfordshire Archives 01865 815203 Portsmouth Records Office 01705 827261 Rochdale Library Service 01706 647474 Rochester upon Medway City Archives 01634 732714 Rotherham Borough Archives 01709 823616/382121 Salford City Archives Service 0161 775 5643 Sheffield Archives 0114 273 4756 Shropshire Record Office 01743 255350 Somerset Record Office 01823 278805 Southampton Record Office 01703 832251 Southwark Local Studies Library 0207 403 3507 Staffordshire Record Office 01785 278380

Repository name Telephone Stockport Archives Service 0161 474 4530 Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich 01473 584541

Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds 01284 352350 Branch Suffolk Record Office,Lowestoft Branch 01502 405357 Surrey History Centre 01483 594594 Sutton Archives 0208 770 4747 Tameside Archive Service 0161 338 2708 Tower Hamlets Archive Service 0208 980 4366 ext 129 Trafford Borough Council 0161 912 3013 Tyne & Wear Archives Service 0191 232 6789 Walsall Archives Service 01922 721305/6 Waltham Forest Archives 0208 509 1917 Warwickshire Record Office 01926 412735 West Sussex Record Office 01243 533911 West Yorkshire Archive Service, Bradford 01274 731931 West Yorkshire Archive Service, 01422 39236 Calderdale West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield 01924 305980 West Yorkshire Archive Service, Kirklees 01484 221966 Westminster City Archives 0207 641 2180 Wigan Record Office 01942 404430 Wiltshire & Swindon Record Office 01225 713136 Wirral Archives Service 0151 652 6106/7/8 Wolverhampton Archives 01902 552480 Worcester (St Helen’s) Record Office 01905 765922 York City Archives Department 01904 551878/9

WALES Anglesey County Record Office 01248 752080 Ceredigion Archives 01970 633697/8 Carmarthenshire Record Office 01267 224184 Denbigshire Record Office 01824 703077 Flintshire Record Office 01244 532364 Glamorgan Record Office 01222 780282 Repository name Telephone

West Glamorgan Archive Service 01792 636589

Gwent Record Office 01633 644886 Gwynedd, Caernarfon Area Record Office 01286 679095 Gwynedd, Merioneth Archives 01341 422341 Pembrokeshire Record Office 01437 763707 Powys County Archives Office 01597 826088

Issue No. 243 Issue date 2/7/05