2016 Annual Release
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2016 ANNUAL RELEASE RELEASE OF 1990 FILES LIST OF CLOSED FILES DECEMBER 2016 Table of Contents Introduction 3 Department of Agriculture 6 Northern Ireland Assembly (1973-1974) 10 Central Secretariat 11 Northern Ireland nstitutional Convention 25 Ministry of Development 26 Department of Education 27 Department of Economic Development 33 Department of Employment & Learning 39 Department of Enterprise, Trade & Industry 40 Department of Environment 42 Department of Finance & Personnel 48 Department of Health & Social Services 50 Northern Ireland Assembly (1983-86) 56 Northern Ireland Office 57 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 2 Crown Copyright 2016 Introduction The files are being released under the 30/20 Year Rule. The annual release of selected official files continues against a background of greater public access through the Freedom of Information Act balanced against the need to protect personal information. The FOI Act (2000) created a new access to information regime and all records were reviewed in accordance with both that Act and the Data Protection Act. Annually since 1976, official records held by PRONI which were 30 years old have been reviewed with a view to making them publicly available (“the 30 year rule). In September 2011, the Assembly accepted a Legislative Consent Motion to reduce the time limit for release from 30 years to 20 years (“the 20 year Rule”). This is underpinned by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the amendments made to it by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. The 20 Year Rule is being phased in over 10 years, with two years worth of records being reviewed and released each year. This year, the records of NI Departments and the NIO with terminal dates of 1989 were brought forward for release in August 2016 and the records of 1990 are being brought forward during December 2016. This process involves the referral of the files to the Responsible Authority for sensitivity review. This entails a page by page examination to ensure that a record contains nothing sensitive as defined by the FOI Act and DP Act. Records Released These files are available to the media in advance of their release to the public on the strict understanding that there is an embargo on publication or broadcast until Friday 30th December 2016. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 3 Crown Copyright 2016 There are 759 files being deemed as suitable for release as “fully open”. A further 232 files are open but subject to blanking out of some content. 72 files remain closed in full, the bulk of which are individual prisoner files. The main file series being released includes Central Secretariat files. SELECTION OF SUBJECTS COVERED BY 30THDECEMBER 2016 RELEASE • Head of Civil Service NI (HOCS) files on various high level matters, including Short Brothers / Harland & Wolff, political protests (and contingency planning for expected strike action), Political Development Group updates, Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council (A.I.I.C), MacBride Principles (workplace discrimination), and De Lorean papers. • Anti Racketeering activities • European Convention on Human Rights cases • Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Office (NIO) Ministerial meetings with politicians • Economic cooperation and negotiations (involving the Republic of Ireland, UK, USA and Europe) • The MacBride Principles (workplace discrimination, including individual files on US State employment legislation and UK Disinvestment) • Privatisation of NI electricity (includes examination of Kilroot power station, ‘Phase II’) • Fisheries and Irish Sea issues • Local Government protest action in the wake of the Anglo-Irish Agreement • Increasing incidence of drug abuse • Child care and repercussions of abuse investigations • Community group funding and political links • The Arts (including Ulster Folk and Transport Museum) • Civil Defence / War Planning Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 4 Crown Copyright 2016 Records may be closed either fully or in part only. Blanking out involves the removal of a limited number of papers from the file that have been deemed as exempt from the right to know under FOI. To facilitate the release of as much information as possible, redaction can be used to blank out sensitive data within individual documents that would otherwise prevent release. All information which is withheld in the manner outlined above, however, must be retained in accordance with the exemptions contained within the FOI Act. In the majority of cases, the reason for extended closure was the application of section 40 – the personal information exemption – of the FOI Act. This means that personal information is exempt from the right to know if it would breach the Data Protection principles. The catalogue of files for 1990 will be publicly available online on the PRONI website www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni from Friday 30th December and the files will also be available to view at PRONI from Friday 30th December. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 5 Crown Copyright 2016 Department of Agriculture PRONI COVERING ACCESS DESCRIPTION DEPT NO. REF. NO. DATES DECISION AG/5/6/99 1986-1990 Ministers Briefs on Environmentalists. DD 24/1986 Blank Out s40 - 2074 AG/5/6/103 1989-1990 Minutes of Meetings of Northern Ireland Water Council 1989 DD 5/1983 Blank Out s40 - Pt.2. 2074 AG/6/7/33 1988-1990 Interference with Fishery Interests at Sea. 6306/88 Blank Out s40 - 2074 AG/6/7/37 1990-1990 Ministerial Briefs, Minutes and Meetings (Contact with 6776/90 Blank Out s40 - Republic of Ireland Counterparts). 2074 AG/6/7/41 1985-1990 Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation. 6556/85 Blank Out s40 - 2074 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 6 Crown Copyright 2016 PRONI COVERING ACCESS DESCRIPTION DEPT NO. REF. NO. DATES DECISION AG/6/7/42 1985-1990 Policy Presentation and Strategy (Ministerial Visits). 6909/85 Blank Out s40 - 2074 AG/15/66 1976-1979 Illegal cross-border trade in ex farm milk. Blank Out s40 - 2063 AG/15/70 1984-1986 Pasteurised Milk Exports to the Republic of Ireland. Blank Out s40 - 2070 AG/15/72 1982-1987 Milk Marketing Board (N.I.) Appointment of Ministers Blank Out s40 - Nominees. 2071 AG/15/76 1987-1987 Milk Review 1987 Background Information. Blank Out s40 - 2071 AG/15/78 1987-1988 Testing of Bovine Somatotrophin on Dairy Cows. Partial Closure s43 - 2072 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 7 Crown Copyright 2016 PRONI COVERING ACCESS DESCRIPTION DEPT NO. REF. NO. DATES DECISION AG/15/80 1988-1989 Raw Milk Exports to the Republic of Ireland. Blank Out s40 - 2073 AG/15/81 1989-1989 Raw Milk Exports to the Republic of Ireland. Blank Out s40 - 2073 AG/15/85 1984-1989 Emergency Planning. Blank Out s40 - 2073 AG/15/86 1985-1989 Antibiotics in Milk. Blank Out s40 - 2073 AG/17/150 1985-1990 Slaughterhouse and Bacon Curing Licences Policy. B 53/85 Blank Out s40 - 2074 AG/30/9/5 1988-1990 Meeting of the Agricultural College Principals. AE 3 Pt.5 Blank Out s40 - 2074 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 8 Crown Copyright 2016 PRONI COVERING ACCESS DESCRIPTION DEPT NO. REF. NO. DATES DECISION AG/31/47/1 1989-1990 Irish Banking Review Article on GDP per Head in 65/89 Blank Out s40 - Agriculture, in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. 2074 AG/38/57 1987-1990 Correspondence with the Ulster Farmers Union. PS 12 Pt.5 Blank Out s40 - 2074 AG/66/4 1985-1990 Strychnine. MP 4/10 Pt.2 Blank Out s40 - 2074 AG/75/1 1985-1990 Vaughan Charity Minutes of Meetings of Trustees. VC 3 Pt.3 Blank Out s40 - 2074 AG/77/1/55 1990-1990 Top Management Group Minutes of Meeting on 15 June Blank Out s37 - 1990. 2074 AG/77/1/58 1990-1990 Top Management Group Minutes of Meeting on 18 Blank Out s37 - December 1990. 2074 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 9 Crown Copyright 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly (1973-1974) PRONI COVERING DESCRIPTION DEPT NO. ACCESS REF. NO. DATES DECISION ANI/10/99 1975-1985 'Expert Advisors'; by elections; expert advice; by election Blank Out s40 - envelope; assembly by election procedure. 2069 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 10 Crown Copyright 2016 Central Secretariat PRONI COVERING DESCRIPTION DEPT NO. ACCESS REF. NO. DATES DECISION CENT/1/15/9 1984-1990 Glor na nGael. Partial Closure and Blank Out s23, s38, s40 - 2074 CENT/1/15/11 1986-1990 Shantallow. Partial Closure and Blank Out s23, s38, s40 - 2074 CENT/1/15/18 1985-1990 Named Individuals. Full Closure s24, s38, s40 - 2074 CENT/1/15/27 1986-1990 Glenbryn / Alliance Environmental Group. Full Closure s24, s38, s40 - 2074 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 11 Crown Copyright 2016 PRONI COVERING DESCRIPTION DEPT NO. ACCESS REF. NO. DATES DECISION CENT/1/17/26 1988-1990 Anglo Irish Secretariat Briefing Requests. Blank Out s40 - 2074 CENT/1/17/33 1988-1990 Confidence In the System of Justice. 62/1988 Partial Closure and Blank Out s23, s38, s40 - 2074 CENT/1/18/3 1989-1990 Visit by Irish American Partnership led by General P.X. 296/1989 Blank Out s40 - Kelley 3-4 November 1989. 2074 CENT/1/18/6 1989-1990 Ulster Adventure Club. Ace Scheme. Full Closure s24, s38, s40 - 2074 CENT/1/18/12 1989-1990 Churchtown and Area Community Association, Castlederg. Full Closure s24, s38, s40 - 2074 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 12 Crown Copyright 2016 PRONI COVERING DESCRIPTION DEPT NO. ACCESS REF. NO. DATES DECISION CENT/1/18/14 1989-1990 Clonard / Springfield Parent Youth Support Group. Blank Out s40 - 2074 CENT/1/18/15 1989-1990 Springhill Community House, 123 Springhill Avenue, Belfast. Partial Closure and Blank Out s40 - 2074 CENT/1/18/22 1989-1990 Bloomfield Community Association Committee.