Annual Review 2007–2008 London: The Stationery Office 5688_PA review v0_5.indd 1 15/12/08 16:31:45 2 ANNUAL REVIEW 2007–2008 Review of the year his annual review of the year that ended on 31 March 2008 describes the activities of the Parliamentary Archives in Tsupporting the administrations of the House of Commons and House of Lords in their core tasks of effective information management, maintaining the heritage and collections, and providing the public with information and access. There were notable and diverse It was a challenging year for the records achievements across our remit in a busy management team led by Frances Grey year made possible by the hard work and which continued to give extensive practical creativity of our staff whose knowledge, support to a bicameral project, now skills and expertise, and enthusiasm for refocused and upgraded to a programme, developing their competencies, enabled that is examining the case for developing us to make significant enhancements electronic document and records to our Parliamentary and public facing management (EDRM) systems. The team services. We also relied increasingly on also raised its presence in offices of both the effectiveness of our collaboration with Houses principally by undertaking a stakeholders in offices and departments of programme of field visits to support both Houses, and the insight and expertise effective day to day record keeping, which stimulated by our external partnerships. will bring business benefits and assist compliance with information access Much has changed about the archival legislation. landscape in the digital age but the emphasis continues to be on the core This year the most significant and far- activities of preservation and access, and reaching development for the future shape meeting the changing expectations of of the archives has been agreement on a our users whether onsite or online. So it five-year strategy for the management and was gratifying to learn, without being in preservation of Parliament’s digital resources. any way complacent about the need to It sets out concrete steps for ensuring the make continuing enhancements to our long-term continuity of Parliament’s digital public services, that the Archives has assets, wherever held and in whatever maintained its 100% satisfaction rating format, that will be delivered in partnership for Service Overall in the most recent with our key stakeholders. By contrast national Survey of Visitors to British extensive consideration of the future use of Archives in October/November 2007. recyclable papers in Parliament that meet “permanent paper” requirements was a 5688_PA review v0_5.indd 2 15/12/08 16:31:59 ANNUAL REVIEW 2007–2008 3 sharp reminder that the digital age does not Lords. Central to each project were the rich negate more familiar concerns about the holdings of the archives and innovative longevity of our current analogue records. use of web technology to foster public understanding and knowledge of the work The successful completion of the two-year of Parliament, as well as its heritage. Portcullis 2 cataloguing project which has cleared a long term backlog of uncatalogued Priorities for 2008/9 include: historic archives is the culmination of • Life Peerages Act 1958 Anniversary successive electronic cataloguing projects launched since 2000. Considerable thanks • Implementing the Digital are due to the many archivists, typists, Preservation Strategy work placements and volunteers who • Developing the Connecting with supported Caroline Shenton’s leadership Communities programme of the projects. • Supporting the SPIRE (Electronic The outreach team led ably by David Records and Document Management) Prior rose magnificently to the challenge Programme of working on a series of concurrent exhibition and web projects marking • Undertaking a Records Management significant Parliamentary anniversaries in audit of the House of Commons 2007 and 2008, and developing proposals Finally, I am very sad to report that my at the request of the House of Lords predecessor David Johnson OBE died Information Committee for a long term suddenly after a short illness in April programme of exhibition and regional 2008. David joined the House of Lords outreach activities. The review describes in 1966 and was Clerk of the Records Parliament’s marking in 2007 of the 200th from November 1991 to June 1999. He anniversary of the abolition of the British will be much missed by friends and Slave trade and the 300th anniversary colleagues in Parliament and in the wider of the Act of Union with Scotland (in archive community, which he continued partnership with the National Archives to serve in his retirement. The Times of Scotland and the Scottish Parliament). published his obituary on 19 May 2008. In addition, preparations were made for the 50th anniversary in 2008 of the Stephen Ellison passing of the Life Peerages Act and the Clerk of the Records introduction of women to the House of 5688_PA review v0_5.indd 3 15/12/08 16:32:00 4 ANNUAL REVIEW 2007–2008 Supporting Parliament by safeguarding and providing ready access to its records Aims • providing a records management and • ensuring compliance of the House of archive service for each House of Lords’ administration with Freedom of Parliament and making the archives Information and Data Protection accessible to the public legislation. Key objectives support delivery of five core tasks: Records management Access and Outreach • to develop, implement and sustain • to provide an up-to-date catalogue of policies for a best practice and corporate the archives conforming to recognised approach to the management of the professional standards. current records of each House of • to provide a public service for the Parliament inspection and copying of records, and • to develop, implement and sustain the answering of enquiries. policies for compliance of the House of • to promote awareness of the archives Lords’ administration with the Freedom and history of Parliament as a core of Information Act and the Data resource for research, lifelong learning Protection Act and leisure, and to support public Selection and Acquisition engagement with Parliament. • to ensure that records created or held by e-Delivery Parliament which are worthy of • to deliver services electronically where preservation are selected for the this will provide a substantial benefit to archives, and to acquire other records users, whether inside or outside that contribute significantly to Parliament. understanding of the history and workings of Parliament Preservation • to preserve the archives in all formats in accordance with recognised professional standards • to assist preservation of the archives by their conservation and the creation of surrogate copies 5688_PA review v0_5.indd 4 15/12/08 16:32:09 ANNUAL REVIEW 2007–2008 5 Records management he priority for the Parliamentary records management programme was to embed a culture of corporate records Tmanagement practice into working practices throughout the administrations of both Houses. The provision of general records management effective way of taking electronic records training and training sessions specifically management forward. During the year, the tailored to individual office needs remained Parliamentary Archives supported a ‘proof an important feature of the records of concept’ project in the House of Commons. management service we provide to each The aim of this project was to gain a real House. The focus of records management understanding of how an EDRM system training is to assist staff in understanding would function within a unique and applying the processes and procedures Parliamentary setting, and to test how the in place to manage records from the time existing Parliamentary records management they are created or received by staff to the policy and procedures translate to an time they are either transferred to the electronic environment. Archives or destroyed in accordance with Freedom of Information authorised retention schedules. The Archives distinguishes between A significant addition to the training ‘business as usual’ enquiries, which are programme during 2007-8 was the covered elsewhere in this review, and establishment of recurring bi-annual requests for information which may be held sessions and seminars which are open to all in closed records and are treated as requests staff. These are complemented by tours, under the Freedom of Information Act seminars and training given by Archivists 2000. During 2007-8 the Archives received which provide staff with the opportunity to a total of 16 requests (last year 24) which learn about the whole life-cycle of the were treated as requests under the Act. The records they create during their day-to-day material requested included Mental Health activities. Records management is also Bill files in the 1980s, files about a House of featured in all staff induction programmes Commons Select Committee enquiry into in accordance with the Code of Practice student relations 1968-1969, and information under section 46 of the Freedom of on the Palace of Westminster munitions Information Act 2000. Work continued on factory during the Second World War. increasing online accessibility to information, Depositing offices and departments were guidance notes and training opportunities. asked to review the relevant papers and as a Electronic document and records result the records were in 9 cases fully management opened and in two cases partially opened. No cases were fully exempt from disclosure. The Archives represented the records The remaining five requests related to management interests of both Houses on material not held in the Archives or already the bicameral Electronic Document and in the public domain. Records Management Programme Board which was set up to consider the most 5688_PA review v0_5.indd 5 15/12/08 16:32:18 6 ANNUAL REVIEW 2007–2008 Selection and Acquisition ccessions during the year from both houses in the main reflected the core business functions of Parliament, Awith large deposits from both Committee Offices, the Journal Offices and the Judicial Office in the House of Lords.