9 July 2003
Meeting summaries
The twenty-seventh meeting of the United Kingdom Inter-Departmental Archives Committee (IDAC) took place at The National Archives (HMC) on 9th July 2003, when the following topics were considered:
Government Policy Action Plan – progress report
Updates were given on several of the action points. A full update on the action plan points will be circulated before the next meeting.
FOI: Implications for Archives and Records Management
The National Archives new Records Management Advisory Service (RMAS) is supporting local authorities in preparing for Freedom of Information.
National Archives Legislation: progress report
National Archives legislation is currently being considered by a working group in government. Four papers have emerged out of this, which concerned:
- Digital records and whether these are covered by the PRA and if not whether they create a specific need for legislation
- A framework for records management within central government to take into account the new compliance regime
- Records management within the wider public sector
- The current provision for archive services and whether there is a need for a legal framework
The National Archives are currently making tentative plans for a twelve-week consultation, as the process is still subject to final ministerial approval. Whilst such legislation would cover public record bodies in Scotland, Scotland would remain largely unaffected and will probably have its own Scottish Archives Act.
Civil Registration
The Office for National Statistics is currently issuing a paper on civil registration that could have a significant impact upon records of interest to family history. This would also be subject to a twelve-week consultation period.
Culture Online
DCMS are currently working with a few interested groups on this, with a view to taking forward several tranches in the autumn.
European and International Issues
On 6th May 2003 an EU resolution was passed for a 2nd Edition of the report on the state of archives in the EU ('the Black Book'), leading to the setting up of an international experts group on 23rd May 2003. Subsequent to this a detailed questionnaire has been circulated to members.
Following the burning of the National Library in Baghdad, UNESCO sent their first mission to Iraq in May, which was shortly followed by a second mission which included library and manuscript experts. ICA and IFLA have convened a meeting for 16 July at ICA headquarters in Paris to determine the next steps.
Archives Task Force
The fifth meeting of the Task Force has recently taken place. It focused upon the proposed vision of what the Task Force might produce.
Digital Preservation
A meeting will take place in November on what local authorities and the higher education sector are doing about digital preservation.
Northern Ireland
The Ulster Covenant website went live at the end of March 2003 http://www.proni.gov.uk/ulstercovenant
, the next digitisation project, The Freeholders Registers, will go live during Archives Awareness Month.
Wales
In response to an amendment tabled to the Welsh Assembly government calling for a separate public record office for Wales, new Assembly Minister for Culture, Alan Pugh, has made it clear that a separate repository for Welsh public records was not currently a priority for the Assembly.
Scotland
Scotland's family history website has now been launched http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/.
