The National Archives
Search our website
  • Search our website
  • Search our records

Operational selection policies (OSPs) apply the criteria set out in the Records collection policy to the records of individual departments and agencies or to records relating to a cross-departmental theme. Operational selection policies are normally the subject of public consultation. Alternatively you can see the operational selection policies listed by OSP number.

We also publish guidance on the selection and transfer process.

Draft operational selection policies currently out for public consultation

OSP 57: Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - site records 1940 onwards (Draft) (PDF, 0.10Mb)

Centre of Government and constitutional matters

OSP7: The Welsh Office 1979-97 (PDF, 0.12Mb)

OSP7: Y Swyddfa Gymreig 1979-97 (PDF, 0.21Mb)

OSP12: Central direction and oversight of policy 1970-2000 (PDF, 0.13Mb)

OSP20: Records of the Central Office of Information (COI) (PDF, 0.12Mb)

OSP24: Records relating to the machinery of government and the management of the civil service March 1974-2000 (PDF, 0.15Mb)

Defence, security and intelligence

OSP8: The Security Service (PDF, 0.08Mb)

OSP11: Nuclear weapons policy 1967-98 (PDF, 0.14Mb)

OSP14: Home defence and emergency planning 1972-2001 (PDF, 0.11Mb)

OSP28: Government Communication Headquarters and its predecessors (PDF, 0.07Mb)

Environment

OSP1: The Department of the Environment 1970-79 (PDF, 0.13Mb)

OSP2: The Crown Estate 1975-85 (PDF, 0.07Mb)

OSP4: The use and conservation of the countryside for recreational purposes 1974-83 (PDF, 0.07Mb)

OSP10: Nature conservation in Great Britain 1973-91 (PDF, 0.10Mb)

OSP17: Preservation of the built environment 1970-99 (PDF, 0.67Mb)

OSP45: English Partnerships 1999-2006 (PDF, 0.24Mb)

OSP 58: Environment Agency (1996-2012) (PDF, 0.31Mb)

Financial matters

OSP9: Fiscal policy 1971-79 (PDF, 0.13Mb)

OSP15: Control of central government expenditure 1969-97 (PDF, 0.77Mb)

OSP22: Records of the Royal Mint 1975-2002 (PDF, 0.36Mb)

OSP27: UK central government websites (PDF, 0.11Mb)

OSP35: Board and committee records (PDF, 0.17Mb)

OSP36: Publications / grey literature  (PDF, 0.17Mb)

OSP37: Freedom of Information Act records (PDF, 0.06Mb)

OSP38: Records of internal administration (PDF, 0.12Mb)

OSP39: Inspection records (PDF, 0.14Mb)

OSP42: Records of Departmental legal branches (PDF, 0.08Mb)

OSP48: Case files (PDF, 0.11Mb)

Law and order

OSP6: Records created by and relating to coroners 1970-2000 (PDF, 0.16Mb)

OSP16: Probation records 1965-2001 (PDF, 0.31Mb)

OSP21: Records of the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC) (PDF, 0.08Mb)

OSP29: Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) records (PDF, 0.17Mb)

OSP32: Records relating to court actions for individual bankruptcy (PDF, 0.16Mb)

OSP33: Records relating to court actions for corporate insolvency (PDF, 0.23Mb)

OSP40: Records relating to indictable criminal proceedings 1972-1992 (PDF, 0.18Mb)

OSP46: Records relating to military law and courts-martial (PDF, 0.23Mb)

OSP 56: Attorney General's Office (AGO): Paper Records 1987 - 2012  (PDF, 0.15Mb)

Overseas

OSP13: Britain's diplomatic relations 1973-96 (PDF, 0.31Mb)

OSP23: Records of Britain's overseas representation 1973-  (PDF, 0.24Mb)

OSP44: Records of UK government involvement in the development and implementation of European Community secondary legislation (PDF, 0.15Mb)

Social and education

OSP5: The administration of social security 1979-97 (PDF, 0.10Mb)

OSP18: Records of registration of births deaths and marriages of United Kingdom citizens occuring overseas (PDF, 0.09Mb)

OSP19: School age education (3-16 year olds) 1974-88 (PDF, 0.18Mb)

OSP30: Government and people: the interaction of the state with the citizen as documented in electronic casefiles and datasets (PDF, 0.09Mb)

OSP31: Post 16 education 1974-1988 (PDF, 0.22Mb)

OSP55: Records of the Pensions Regulator (2005-2011) (PDF, 0.26Mb)

Trade and industry

OSP3: Industrial policy 1974-79 (PDF, 0.16Mb)

OSP25: The regulation of companies (PDF, 0.18Mb)

OSP26: The regulation of civil aviation 1972-2002 (PDF, 0.27Mb)

OSP34: Restrictive trade practices 1956 - 2000 (PDF, 0.06Mb)

OSP41: Records created in the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food between 1945 and 2000 inherited by the Food Standards Agency (PDF, 0.12Mb)

OSP43: Competition - case files 1950-2008 (PDF, 0.13Mb)

OSP47: Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT) paper and electronic records 1989-2010 (PDF, 0.09Mb)

OSP 49: Records of the Export Credits Guarantee Department 1978 onwards (PDF, 0.19Mb)

OSP50: Regional Development Agencies 1999 - 2012 (PDF, 0.19Mb)

OSP51: Records of Royal Mail and its predecessors, 1969-2006 (PDF, 0.46Mb)

OSP 54: Food Standards Agency 1 April 2000 - 1 October 2012 (PDF, 0.48Mb)

This page contains PDF files. See plug-ins and file formats for help in accessing these file types.