Request
‘I am writing to ask you to provide (ideally in a spreadsheet format) a list of the reference numbers and titles of items in the FCO 40 series that were evaluated for suitability for release within the past 24 months of the date of this request and for which the decision was to extend the ‘record opening date’ (that is, rather than the decision being to make the item open for public consultation).’
Outcome
Information provided
Response
Please see the attached .csv file for a schedule of FCO 40 records that were sensitivity reviewed since 7th June 2022 and which were then subject to an extension of the closure period.
This data is compiled of two different forms of sensitivity review – New Year Openings and FOI reviews. New Year Openings were sensitivity reviewed in anticipation of their established opening date (1st January of that upcoming year) and found to have additional sensitivities that required extension. Some other files in this dataset were sensitivity reviewed following a request under the FOI Act and were extended following that review.
It should be noted that sensitivity reviews can be conducted outside of these processes, however we do not maintain a record of these circumstances.
Please note that FCO 40/1834/1 and FCO 40/1456/1 were closed extracts created as a result of an FOI review. The parent files (FCO 40/1834 and FCO 40/1456) were opened with redactions. The closure period on the newly created extract was extended past the original closure period of the files.
Please note that this schedule does not include records where the closure period was maintained or decreased. Closure periods are calculated from the end date of the record and are based on the information found within the records. Closure periods can be subject to change over time, as closure periods can be reviewed and amended in line with new contextual evidence. For records relating to the future of Hong Kong following independence, it was agreed between the FCDO and the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives that these would be withheld for 50 years following independence. For more information on how closure periods are calculated at The National Archives, please see this link to our relevant guidance: Closure Periods Guidance v3 copy (nationalarchives.gov.uk)