1. Why use this guide?

This guide sets out the context for records of the Infected Blood Inquiry that are held by The National Archives. This guide also touches on relevant records that are preserved by the wider archive sector.

The Inquiry was set up to examine the circumstances in which men, women and children treated by national health services in the United Kingdom (collectively, ‘the NHS’) were given infected blood and infected blood products, in particular since 1970.

The focus for this guide is the records of the public inquiry that have been transferred to The National Archives having been selected by the Inquiry Chair and in line with The National Archives’ Records Collection Policy. The records have been transferred to The National Archives in line with the Inquiries Act 2005, the Inquiry Rules 2006, and the Public Records Act 1958. They have been managed in line with current information rights legislation.

2. Where to go for further support, if you have been affected by the content of these records/and or the disaster

Records from the Infected Blood Inquiry include content that some people may find distressing.

The Infected Blood Psychological Service NHS (England) Infected Blood Psychological Service is a national service offering bespoke psychological support for people who have been infected and affected by contaminated blood or blood products. Specialist psychological support is also available in Wales, The Psychology & Wellbeing Service – WIBSS, Scotland, Scottish Infected Blood Psychology Service – Scottish Infected Blood Psychology Service and  Northern Ireland Belfast Health & Social Care Trust.

You can also find useful advice on looking after your mental health and wellbeing on the NHS Every Mind Matters website and from the mental health charity Mind.

3. The Public Inquiry

The Infected Blood Inquiry was set up by the then Prime Minister, Theresa May, and the government of the day in July 2017. Sir Brian Langstaff, an experienced QC in health-related public inquiries and clinical negligence, was appointed as Chair of the Inquiry on 8 February 2018.

The terms of reference for the Inquiry were set by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office on recommendation of the Chair following public consultation. Infected Blood Inquiry Terms of Reference – GOV.UK

The Inquiry formally opened in July 2018, and the first interim report was published on 29 July 2022 concerning the issue of interim compensation payments. The second interim report was published on 5 April 2023 concerning the framework for compensation. The Inquiry Report was published on 20 May 2024 and the government responses to the Inquiry Report were published on 17 December 2024 Government Response to the Infected Blood Inquiry (HTML) – GOV.UK and 14 May 2025. Full Government Response to the Infected Blood Inquiry’s May 2024 Report (HTML) – GOV.UK

The Inquiry published an Additional Report on Compensation on 9 July 2025. The Government response was published on 21 July 2025 Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report Government Response.

4. How to access records held at The National Archives

The records of the Infected Blood Inquiry can be accessed using The National Archives’ online catalogue. Most of the records are held in digital format and are available online.

The National Archives’ online catalogue will indicate the format of the record. If you need further help using our catalogue, please consult Discovery help.

Infected Blood Inquiry records are catalogued within the following series:

IBI 1 Records not yet transferred.

IBI 2  Records not yet transferred.

IBI 3 contains the reports of the Inquiry. Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue.

5. Public inquiry reports

The Inquiry developed reports and recommendations through the collection of written statements and evidence, 14 reports from independent groups of experts, public hearings and submissions. Two interim reports were published in 2022 and 2023. The Infected Blood Inquiry produced the Inquiry Report which was published on 20 May 2024 and an Additional Report on Compensation was published on 9 July 2025.

The first Interim Report was concerned with the single issue of interim compensation payments and was published on 29 July 2022 and can be found First Interim Report | Infected Blood Inquiry

The second Interim Report was concerned with the framework for compensation and was published on 5 April 2023 and can be found (TNA reference and UKWA reference) Second Interim Report | Infected Blood Inquiry

The report of the Infected Blood Inquiry was published on 20^th May 2024 and can be found (TNA reference and UKWA reference) The Inquiry Report | Infected Blood Inquiry

The Additional Report on Compensation from the Infected Blood Inquiry was published on 9^th July 2025 Additional Report on Compensation | Infected Blood Inquiry

6. Other sources

The British Library has two oral histories: the Haemophilia and HIV Life History Project and HIV in the Family: an oral history of parents, partners and children of those with haemophilia and HIV, see Haemophilia and HIV Life History Project and HIV in the Family: an oral history of parents, partners and children of those with haemophilia and HIV:

Material can be found in the archives of both local authorities and private organisations. A directory of UK archive services can be found on The National Archive website: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/find-an-archive

1. Why use this guide?

This guide sets out the context for records of the Dawn Sturgess (Lord Hughes) Independent Inquiry that are held by The National Archives. This guide also touches on relevant records that are preserved by the wider archive sector. 

The focus for this guide is the records of the Inquiry that have been transferred to The National Archives having been selected by the Inquiry Chair in line with The National Archives’ Records Collection Policy. The records have been transferred to The National Archives in line with the Inquiries Act 2005, the Inquiry Rules 2006, and the Public Records Act 1958. They have been managed in line with current information rights legislation. 

2. Where to go for further support, if you have been affected by the content of these records

Records from the Dawn Sturgess (Lord Hughes) Independent Inquiry include content that some people may find distressing. If you have been affected by these records, you can find useful advice on looking after your mental health and wellbeing on the NHS Every Mind Matters website and from the mental health charity Mind.

3. The Independent Inquiry

Dawn Sturgess was pronounced dead at Salisbury district hospital on 8 July 2018. The postmortem had indicated the cause of her death as being Novichok poisoning.  

On 19 July 2018, an inquest into the death of Dawn Sturgess was opened and adjourned/suspended by HM Senior Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, David Ridley. The Rt Hon Heather Hallett DBE was nominated and appointed to conduct the Inquest in January 2021.  

The Inquest was suspended upon the establishment of the public inquiry. Converting to a statutory inquiry allowed closed evidence to be considered at closed hearings with most Core Participants as well as the public and press excluded. 

The Dawn Sturgess Independent Inquiry was set up under the Inquiries Act, 2005 and was announced by the then Home Secretary, Priti Patel, on 18 November 2021. The Rt Hon Lord Hughes of Ombersley chaired the Independent Inquiry. The terms of reference ensured that the investigations which had already been conducted as part of the Inquest, could be considered as part of the Inquiry.  

The Terms of Reference can be found here The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry – Inquiry into 2018 Salisbury poisonings. 

The Inquiry was formally established on 17 March 2022 and began hearing evidence on 14 October 2024 in Salisbury before moving to London. 

The Inquiry report was published on 4th December 2025, see Report – The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry. 

4. What are these records?

Under the Inquiry Rules 2006 the Chair of the Inquiry has a duty to transfer custody of the Inquiry record to a government department or to the appropriate public record office, in this case The National Archives.  

On the recommendation of the Chair, all OPEN evidence adduced in open public hearings and the published report (also available on Gov.uk website) has been transferred to The National Archives for permanent preservation. 

The circumstances surrounding the death of Dawn Sturgess were such that it was necessary to hold a portion of the Inquiry’s proceedings in closed hearings in order to protect individuals connected with the case, national security, and policing methodologies. Consequently, at the close of the Inquiry, only those documents adduced during open hearings were transferred to The National Archives. Of these, around 35% contain redactions of personal data, or information that is closed under the Inquiry’s Restriction Order and is not being transferred to The National Archives.  

Evidence adduced during closed hearings has also been selected for permanent preservation at The National Archives but remained classified. All closed evidence is held by the Home Office and will be managed until such time as it can be transferred. 

The records of the Dawn Sturgess Independent Inquiry have been through the process of appraisal, selection, and sensitivity review before being transferred to The National Archives for permanent preservation in line with the Inquiries Act 2005, the Inquiry Rules 2006 and following the direction and wishes of the Inquiry Chair.  

Some of the evidence received by the Inquiry pre-dates the establishment of the Inquiry itself. Where physical documents were scanned and provided to the Inquiry in digital format, the dates reflect the dates of the original records.  

Evidence records were managed within a document management system. Each document was given a unique reference number to assist the Inquiry with identifying the source material. Reports, transcripts, and records of public hearings may use these numbers to refer to the evidence records.

5. Supporting sensitivity and transparency

As part of preparing its records for transfer to The National Archives, the Dawn Sturgess Independent Inquiry has undertaken a comprehensive review of the content of each record to ensure they are managed in line with information rights legislation. The inquiry has transferred to The National Archives upon close-down of the inquiry all OPEN access evidence.  

Because of the potentially distressing nature of some of these records, we have added an advisory note to the relevant online series descriptions and at individual records/pieces.

6. How to access records held at The National Archives

The OPEN evidence records of the Dawn Sturgess Independent Inquiry can be accessed using The National Archives’ online catalogue. The records of the inquiry are held in digital format and are available online.  

The National Archives’ online catalogue will indicate the format of the record. If you need further help using our catalogue, please consult Discovery help. 

The Dawn Sturgess Independent Inquiry records are catalogued within the following series:  

Records created by the Independent Inquiry into the circumstances of Dawn Sturgess’ death in Salisbury on 8 July 2018. 

• STUR 1 contains evidence considered by the Inquiry. Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue 

• STUR 2 contains the Inquiry report. Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue 

7. Independent inquiry report

The Dawn Sturgess Independent Inquiry report was published on 4th December 2025. See Report – The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry.

8. Other sources

We have provided links to other relevant local authorities archives and search facilities, where further information on local projects as well as records that are preserved by the wider archive sector can be found. This list is not exhaustive. A directory of UK archive services can be found on The National Archives website. 

1. Why use this guide?

Use this guide if you are looking for original Acts of Parliament passed after 1275, including the original parchment Acts of Parliament held by the House of Lords, and the Monarch’s signature confirming Royal Assent.

For advice on researching Royal Proclamations, Statutory instruments and Orders in Council read our research guide to Privy Council records.

Refer to legislation.gov.uk for current laws and amendments.

Refer to our research guides for specific guidance on private acts of parliament used for

• Changes of name
• Naturalisation
• Divorce
• Enclosure Acts

2. What are Acts of Parliament?

There are different types of Acts of Parliament:

• Public – Acts that affect the whole country
• Private – Acts that relate to the interests of particular individuals, organisations or localities.

Since 1797, private acts have been divided into two main types:

• Local – Acts that relate to the interests of organisations or localities
• Personal – Acts that relate to the interests of particular individuals

The vast majority of Acts of Parliament have been printed and are easiest to access in printed form. However some are not printed and only survive in the original manuscript parchment form.

Original Acts of Parliament

A bill is a proposed Act of Parliament. Up to 1849, following its report stage (before third reading) in the first House, the text of a bill was copied onto parchment. This document is known as an “engrossed bill”. Amendments made at third reading were also entered on the engrossed bill, but additional clauses were engrossed on separate pieces of parchment (known as riders) which were then stitched to the bill.

All amendments in the second House were written on separate pieces of parchment and were not added to the bill until they had been agreed by both Houses. Engrossed Bills, from 1497 to 1849, became after Royal Assent, the Original Acts.

Since 1849, Original Acts have been printed in book form following Royal Assent. They are bound with a red ribbon. Two copies are made, the record copy for Parliament (Original Act series YHL/PO/PB/1 or YHL/PO/PU/1) and a duplicate for The National Archives (Parliament Rolls series C 65).

Private Acts were printed on vellum (calfskin, a type of parchment) between 1849 and 1956, since when they have been printed on archival paper with vellum covers. Public Acts were printed on vellum between 1849 and 2015, since when they have been printed on archival paper with vellum covers.

Engrossed Bills which did not receive Royal Assent can be found in the House of Lords Main Papers (YHL/PO/JO/10).

Since 1849 the equivalent of the Engrossed Bill, containing the printed bill with amendments made from the second House onwards pasted in, is the House Bill. House Bills can be found in the House of Lords Main Papers (YHL/PO/JO/10).

Original Acts were not preserved for the Commonwealth period 1642-1660 because there was no House of Lords and no monarch to give Royal Assent. See Published Acts of Parliament below.

Royal Assent

Bills become Acts of Parliament only when the Monarch has granted Royal Assent.

Tudor Monarchs usually granted assent by signing the Original Act. The Monarch’s signature or initials can be found at the top left corner of the Original Act.

Since 1603 Royal Assent has been granted via Commissions which are signed by the Monarch. Commissions of Royal Assent are separate documents from Bills and Acts. The Commission includes a Schedule which lists the bills which are ready to receive assent. Commissions also have the Great Seal attached; today this is a small wafer seal. Original Acts do not have seals.

Royal Assent is indicated on the Original Act with a Norman French phrase written by Clerks in the House of Lords at the top of the Act:

• ‘Le Roy/La Reyne le veult’ – The King/Queen wills it (for public bills)
• ‘Soit fait comme il est désiré’ – Let it be done as it is desired (for personal bills)
• ‘Le Roy/La Reyne remercie ses bons sujets, accepte leur benevolence, et ainsi le veult’ (for supply bills)

If Royal Assent is refused to a bill, the phrase used is:

• ‘Le Roy/La Reyne s’avisera’ – The King/Queen will take advice

The last time Royal Assent was refused for a Bill passed by both Houses of Parliament was by Queen Anne, for the Scottish Militia Bill 1707/8.

Other phrases in Norman French may appear at the top of Original Acts. These relate to the passage of the Bill through the Commons and Lords.

Original Acts since 1849 are authenticated by the signature of the Clerk of Parliaments or a deputy, which appears at the end of the Act.

Numbering of Original Acts

Between 1497 and 1902 all Original Acts were allocated a running number by the House of Lords Parliament Office. These Parliament Office numbers were assigned in a single series per session in order of Royal Assent, regardless of whether the Act was public or private. Today these numbers appear at the end of the Original Act catalogue references. Since 1902 this has been replaced by the chapter number allocated to published Acts.

3. Online records

Original Acts of Parliament

Most Original Acts are not digitised.

A selection of Acts have been imaged and digital surrogates are available via the online catalogue. Some of these images are of reference copies, which do not include some original details such as the mark of royal assent and riders (which attached additional text to the bill during its passage through the Houses of Parliament). Reference copies contain the exact text of the final, engrossed version of the Act, as passed by Parliament.

4. Published Acts of Parliament

Legislation.gov.uk

As well as containing law currently in force and amendments, legislation.gov.uk also includes the text of some Acts of Parliament as originally passed. Search for the name of the Act, and where available, there will be an ‘Original (as enacted)’ link on the left. This may be a transcript of the text or a PDF image of the printed Act. Most printed Local, Private and Personal Acts after 1797 are available as PDF images.

Statutes of the Realm

The Statutes of the Realm is the most definitive edition of published public Acts of Parliament dating from 1101 to 1713. The text was compiled in the 19th century by comparing the Original Acts at Westminster with the Statute Rolls and Parliament Rolls held by The National Archives. Copies are available in the reading room and library at The National Archives. Some volumes have been transcribed and are available online via British History Online.  Private Acts of Parliament are listed in The Statutes of the Realm but the text is not included, in which case it may be necessary to consult the Original Act.

Black Letter Acts

The Black Letter Acts, so called after the cursive font used in early volumes, consists of a full edition of Public Acts from 1509 to 1868, and is the best source for published Acts for the period after 1713 when Statutes of the Realm ends. The Parliamentary Archives set is catalogued as YHL/PO/PU/7.

Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum

Legislation for the Commonwealth period 1642-1660 has been collected and published in Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 1642-1660 available in the reading room and library at The National Archives. Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum has also been transcribed and made available online via British History Online.

Statutes at Large

Another published edition of public Acts of Parliament is Statutes at Large, sometimes called Ruffhead after its first editor, in various editions. Statutes at Large contains the full text of most but not all public Acts; only summaries or titles appear for some, and parts of Acts repealed at the time of publication are often omitted. The Parliamentary Archives set goes up to 1801 and can be found catalogued under YHL/PO/PU/4, which consists of Statutes at Large (as published in 1811) and public general acts published each session thereafter.

Copies of Statutes at Large are available onsite via the The National Archives reference library, but require 6 working days notice to be produced. Visit The National Archives at Kew.

Local, Personal and Private Acts

There are various published editions of printed Local, Personal and Private Acts from 1797 onwards. Parliamentary Archives sets can be found on the The National Archives catalogue under YHL/PO/PB/27, YHL/PO/PB/28, YHL/PO/PB/31 and YHL/PO/PB/32.

Printed Local and Personal Acts 1797-1834 and a collection of Private Bills 1695-1814 have been digitised and are available via the subscription service Proquest UK Parliamentary Papers. Proquest UK Parliamentary Papers is available via large reference libraries and onsite via the The National Archives library catalogue at reader terminals in Kew. Visit The National Archives at Kew.

You can also search the VLex Justis Publishing website  (institutional subscription required; free access on site at The National Archives, Kew) for General Acts of Parliament from 1235, Local Acts of Parliament from 1797 and statutory instruments from 1949.

 

5. How to search for Original Acts of Parliament

In the first instance, please consider if you need the Original Acts of Parliament, remembering they are handwritten and on vellum, or if you only need the text of an Act in which case The Statutes of the Realm or other published edition will better suit your purpose. See Published Acts of Parliament above.

You will need to search the catalogue to identify original records. To view them you will need to visit The National Archives at Kew or pay for copies to be sent to you.

To search the catalogue, you need to know the title of the Act, or its citation. Use the online catalogue to search for the Act, and narrow by date if necessary.

Public Acts

Search for the title of the Act. The original act will have a reference which starts YHL/PO/PU/1.

Private Acts

Search for the title of the Act. The original act will have a reference which starts YHL/PO/PB/1.

Commissions of Royal Assent

Commissions of Royal Assent are part of the House of Lords Main Papers (HL/PO/JO/10) where they usually appear at the end of the Main Papers for each session. Some Royal Commissions are catalogued separately under YHL/PO/JO/15.

Where a Commission relates to a notable Act of Parliament, the Act will be named in the catalogue description. More common is for the catalogue to list only the dates of the Royal Commission. You may therefore need to know the date of Royal Assent for the Act you are searching for so that you can identify the relevant commission.

The date of Royal Assent is listed in the Journal of the House of Lords. The published House of Lords Journals can be ordered up at The National Archives, with the reference starting YHL/PO/JO/2.

The date of Royal Assent may also be listed in Hansard.  However, please note Hansard is not a compete record of proceedings until 1909.

6. Parliament Rolls, 1275-2010

The rolls of parliament were the official records of the meetings of parliament, containing the principal decisions taken and acts passed, along with procedural material, compiled by the clerk of the Parliaments after the end of the assembly. Most of the medieval and early modern rolls are in Latin, Anglo-Norman or Medieval French.

Search for transcriptions and translations of medieval Parliament Rolls, from 1275 to 1504, on the British History Online website (institutional subscription required; free access on site at The National Archives in Kew).

The original rolls are held at The National Archives, between 1289 and 1322 in series  SC 9  and between 1327 and 2010 in  C 65. Rolls between 1504 and 2010 are not available online.

C 65 Parliament rolls contain enrolled copies of public and private acts from 1483-1534, after which they contain all public acts, but only private acts for which an enrolment fee was paid.

7. Further reading

If you would like to know more about how a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament the Cabinet Office has produced guidance on the process.

House of Commons Research Briefing, Royal Assent, 26 February 2024

For more information on the use of vellum for Original Acts see the House of Commons Library Research Briefing, Vellum: printing record copies of public Acts (2018).

 

1. Why use this guide?

This guide will help you to find records held at The National Archives that relate to environmental history. It will also direct you to records held elsewhere. The advice in the guide will help you to find original records, related to:

• Colonial environmental management
• Legislation on conservation, pollution, and climate change
• Water management
• Agriculture
• Conservation

2. How to search

A search for documents at The National Archives usually begins in our online catalogue. The catalogue contains short descriptions of the records and a document reference for each – you will need the document reference to see the record itself. You can search the catalogue using keywords, such as names and locations, and dates.

If you restrict your search to records held by The National Archives, the search results will show a panel summarising the number of search hits by government department, which can help you filter and focus your search results.

Many of the records in this guide are explicitly related to environmental topics, but others, such as the records of the Admiralty, were not created as records of environment but still contain a wide range of relevant material. The thematic sections in this guide suggest ways to locate records that are not necessarily grouped by series.

In many cases there will be nothing in the record description to indicate whether it is specifically relevant to environmental history. You will need to be creative and speculative in how you search. Consider the historical context and use terms that were used at the time.

You can use advanced search to narrow your results by date range or by department reference—usually shown as two or three capital letters at the start of a record reference (e.g. CO for Colonial Office). Other sections of this guide will give you some ideas about which National Archives departments and series to search within.

Different series are catalogued to varied levels of detail and some records may not be catalogued in a way that can be keyword searched. Where this is the case, this guide will link to other research guides giving advice on how to search.

2.1 Offensive language and terminology

When conducting research at The National Archives, you may encounter language that is outdated or offensive. We retain original titles and descriptions because they reflect the historical context and viewpoints of the time in which the records were created. Preserving this terminology is essential to maintaining the integrity of the archival record.

Our online catalogue does not include content warnings, so please be mindful when browsing or ordering records. To learn more, see our guidance on offensive terminology in The National Archives catalogue.

To help us better support researchers, including with catalogue navigation — we welcome your feedback through Your Views.

3. Online Resources

The following digital packages include material from The National Archives relating to environmental histories (these can be accessed onsite at The National Archives or with subscription):

• Environmental Science and History
• Environmental History: Colonial Policy and Global Development, 1896-1993
• Environmental Issues Online 
• Nineteenth Century Collections Online: Maps and Travel Literature [includes a range of maps from the long nineteenth century]
• Global Commodities [includes records related to India, China, North America, Pacific Northwest, West Africa, Caribbean, South Africa, Ceylon and the Middle East]
• Frontier Life [includes records from Africa, Australasia and North America]

4. Colonial and Global Environments

British colonial officials were responsible for many aspects of environmental management across the Empire, including forestry, mining, transfers of profitable plants, management of plantations, and surveying land. Records of these activities can provide information on most regions in the British Empire. Records of the India Office are held at The British Library.

These topics can be found in a wide range of records and record series, including:

• Colonial natural history exploration – Admiralty (ADM)
• Plantations and land use in colonies – Colonial Office (CO)
• Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West Indies (CO 617)
• Various research institutes and councils (several series within AY)
• Imperial Bureau of Entomology (correspondence in CO 323)
• Colonial Office Photography Collection (CO 1069), the British Empire Collection of Photographs (INF 10). See our photography research guide
• Colonial office map library – CO 700, CO 1047, and CO 1054

See our research guides to Colonies and Dependencies, Foreign Office records, and Guide to Colonial Office Indexes for more details and advice on how to search or use indexes and registers. Indexes can provide direction when researching a broad topic related to environmental histories e.g. cinnamon, botany.

Other sections of this guide may also include records relevant to research on overseas regions, including on pollution, water, and conservation.

4.1 Natural resources, Botanic gardens and forestry

Colonial Office records contain details about the movement of natural resources around the Empire, such as records about colonial mining of products including gold, coal, diamonds, bauxite and the aluminium industry.

The Colonial Office also holds correspondence relating to botanic gardens and stations set up to support the production and movement of valuable plant products, managed by Kew gardens.

Colonial Office records relating to forestry include correspondence and publications about the creation of forestry departments, the employment of Forest Officers, Forest Reports, discussions of deforestation and tree planting, and the establishment of the Imperial Forestry Bureau.

The records of the Forestry Commission (F) from 1910 contain details on early twentieth century Empire Forestry Conferences.

4.2 Shipping, ship’s logs or journals

Ships logs and surgeons or medical journals held in the Admiralty series (ADM) often record the transfer of plants and seeds on voyages, where medical professionals served as botanists, including sketches of plants and animals. See for example ADM 55, ADM 101, and ADM 1. Refer to our guides to

• Royal Navy ships of exploration logs and journals 1757-1904,
• Royal Navy ships’ log books
• Royal Navy operations and correspondence 1660-1914.

Similar records on the trade in plant products such as rum, cotton, sugar, indigo, tobacco can be found in the Prize Papers (HCA) when plants and seeds were captured as part of a ship’s cargo, and the records of the Royal African Company (T 70). See our research guide on the High Court of Admiralty.

Records in each of these series describe histories of enslavement, but can also contain descriptions of the environmental knowledge of Black and Indigenous people. Search within these series for terms such as ‘indigenous’ or ‘native’ AND ‘plant’, or the name of a specific ship or plant product such as ‘indigo’ or ‘cinnamon’.

4.3 Plantations

Records about colonial plantations can be found in series including: CO 700, PWLB, and T 70. For advice on searching refer to our guide to Slavery and the British transatlantic slave trade.

4.4 Research institutes

Records about research institutes exploring topics including fuel, nuclear science, and water pollution can be found under the reference AY Records of Various Research Institutes and Councils.

4.5 Maps

More information on locating maps which record colonial land boundaries can be found in our Maps and plans research guide.

5. Environmental Legislation

For all current and past legislation see Legislation.gov.uk.

You can search our catalogue with the name of an individual act, such as the Clean Air Act of 1956, for which there are records in series including HLG 55 and HLG 120 (Ministry of Housing and Local Government) and COAL 28. These records will be the government departments responses to the Act and its administration.

Other relevant legislation includes the Alkali Act 1863, on industrial pollution, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, on the protection of native animals and plants, and the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which covers waste management and emissions control.

5.1 Recent environmental policy

The UK Government Web Archive is a useful resource for researching contemporary environmental histories. Some of the earliest webpages archived as part of the UKGWA in 1996 were from the Environment Agency. When searching the web archive, results are organised by the frequency of the term on the webpage, so using precise search terms can improve the quality of your search.

6. Pollution and climate change

To search for records relating to pollution and climate change, try searching:

• terms such as ‘emissions’ with ‘vehicle’ or ‘carbon’
• terms used before the phrase ‘climate change’ was adopted, including ‘global warming’ and ‘ozone’ may produce more results
• ‘contamination’ or ‘pollution’; these terms will return many results
• names of specific contaminants or harmful substances
• names of places where contamination or other kinds of environmental damage has occurred
• names of natural disasters, such as ‘floods’ or ‘earthquakes’ plus dates
• names of industrial sites, such as ‘gas works’, ‘steel plants’, ‘oil refineries’, ‘tanneries’, ‘chemical factories’
• broad terms such as ‘dangerous substances’, ‘chemical processing’, or ‘oil spills’

Many different government departments may contain information about environmental pollution and damage.

6.1 The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution was established as a standing body by Royal Warrant in February 1970 to advise on matters, both national and international, concerning:

• the pollution of the environment
• the adequacy of research in this field
• the future possibilities of danger to the environment

Click here for a broad breakdown of the records of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution held by The National Archives.

The Commission closed in 2014. To find out more about its role, see its archived website on the UK Government Web Archive.

6.2 Specific chemicals and substances

You can search our catalogue for records relating to particular pollutants simply by searching with the name of the substance.

6.3 Mining

There is a large amount of material on coal mining and other types of mining among our records, especially when it took place on Crown land. For more detailed information on these records see our guide to Mines and Mining.

6.4 Pesticides

The Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), is responsible for the administration of systems for pesticide licensing, approval and control for the protection of wildlife and plant life. Search in MAF and SE (Health and Safety Executive) files for records of the PSD. Try searching for individual pesticides such as DDT.

6.5 Radioactive waste

Under the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1945 and the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government were made jointly responsible for authorising the discharge of radioactive waste from nuclear installations.

Some key records are among the files of the:

• Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in MAF 209
• Department of the Environment and predecessors in HLG 120 (many relate to named sites)
• Department for Energy in EG 2
• Hinkley Point C Inquiry in EG 4
• UK Atomic Energy Authority are in the AB
• For the disposal of radioactive waste at sea, see FO 371
• For atomic trials in Australia, see DEFE 16

6.6 Military damage

First World War files about crashed aircraft in Britain are in AIR 1. For more information, see the guide on RAF operations.

Files on the dumping of ammunition at the end of the Second World War, mostly overseas or at sea, are held among:

• War Office records in WO 32, WO 199and WO 208
• Admiralty records in ADM 1and ADM 228
• Air Ministry records in AIR 40and AIR 51

The records of all the defence departments contain information about experiments with, and the use and production of, chemicals, plastics and other synthetic materials of all kinds. For records relating to explosives and the Royal Gunpowder Factories at Waltham Abbey and Faversham, see WO 385 and WO 397. Records of the Explosives Research and Development Establishment are in AVIA 67.

6.7 Environmental protest

Records of protest relating to climate change and the environment can be found in various series. These include records on protests around the development of the Hinkley Point nuclear power stations in EG 4, or the work of International non-governmental organizations in the records of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Marine and Transport Department (FCO 76). Try searching for specific environmentalist organisations including Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd, or Friends of the Earth.

Some of these records may be closed, see here for information on making a freedom of information request.

7. Water management

For records about waterways including springs, rivers, canals, estuaries and ponds, search the name of a waterway or a type of waterway, such as:

• Canals and inland waterways – ZLIB 3 (publications held by British Transport Historical Records Office library)
• Wetlands, fenlands and drainage – Duchy of Lancaster (DL), for records on land drainage see C 225 Commissioners of Sewers: Laws, Ordinances and Decrees of Sewers

Records relating to the privatisation of water authorities in England and Wales in 1989 can be found in series including T 560. See RD 3 for records of the National Rivers Authority: Board Minutes and Papers, which oversaw duties not covered by private regional water authorities.

Records relating to land drainage, flooding and coastal defences created by the agriculture departments can be found in various series including MAF 49 and MAF 77.

Records relating to flooding and emergencies are in MAF 220, MAF 221, and MAF 406 (Coast Protection Survey of England dataset).

For records relating to marine environments and international waters:

• Oceans and international waters – see FCO 76 on the Law of the Sea, marine pollution, the International Whaling Commission, and deep sea mining licences, and MT 9 for pollution from shipwrecks
• See also section 9 for information on fisheries

7.1 Water Pollution:

• Reports of the Standing Commission on River Pollution are in MAF 326
• Records of the River Pollution Joint Advisory Commission in MAF 49
• Records about bathing water monitoring are in the Bathing Water Directive database (RD 1), including analytical results of water samples used for bathing water reporting

Try searches for references to pollutants such as sewage works, breweries, industrial waste, fertilisers, and tanneries.

Many of these topics overlap with records on public health. For records relating to water borne diseases such as cholera see our research guide on Public health and social policy in the 19th century.

8. Agriculture

The National Archives holds records relating to agricultural land use and ownership.

To find records about common land and enclosure awards see our research guide to Land ownership, use and rights: common Lands.

See our guide to Agricultural statistics of England and Wales for records about food supplies and the collection of crop production data.

See also our guide to the National Farm Survey of England and Wales 1941-1943 for how to search for maps of farms which record land ownership and land usage in mid-20th century Britain, as well as our guide on Land Requisitioned for War.

The records of the Rural Development Commission (D), a Royal Commission set up in 1909, hold information on funding used to benefit the rural economy of England.

Records within the Ministry of Food and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food relating to food history include Food Supply and Consumption (MAF 243), food consumption levels (MAF 358), and the National Food Survey from 1956 in MAF 300. See section 4 for methods of searching for specific food plants in the context of colonial food production and trade.

Digitised versions of many of our records relating to food and drink histories can be found in the AM Digital Food and Drink in History resource.

9. Conservation and animals

Records relating to conservation, including of plants and animals, can be found in the following series:

• The Nature Conservancy and English Nature (FT), including FT 1 on individual species, and FT 14 on the creation of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
• The National Parks commission and Countryside Commission (COU) and later the Countryside Agency (CA), including the Visual Resources Unit in COU 11 for photographs of national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty
• Natural England (SW) – formed in 2006 bringing together parts of the Countryside Agency and English Nature
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) website on the UK Government Web Archive (MAF 541), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in FCO and FT
• The Dixon Scott Collection photographs (INF 9) include depictions of countryside, towns and villages in the British Isles mostly during the post-WWI period, including subjects such as flowers, bee keeping, and clouds

The records we hold relating to animals mostly describe human interactions with animals through legislation and conservation policies, or copyrighting images. Records about animal species can be found in relation to:

• Game laws and hunting licenses and their evolution into conservation and reserves – try searching for ‘game’ and ‘preservation’ or ‘regulation’ in series such as FO and CO, or ‘endangered species’ within FCO
• Information on fisheries and their regulation, including in the early modern period, can be found in series such as HCA and CO
• Visual records of animals can be found in COPY 1, which contains copyrighted images, and INF 10, the British Empire Collection of Photographs
• Animal products can be found in series such as BT, CO, or AY – try searching for ‘hides’, ‘skins’, or ‘leather’

10. Further reading and resources

Further records related to the topics above can be found in our guide to garden history records held at other archives. You can use our Find an Archive tool to identify other relevant archives.

Read our article on the colonial movement of spices in War Office records.

For a similar resource relating to collections at the British Library, including the India Office, see here.

A helpful timeline of the history of the Natural Products Institute and its predecessors can be found here.

For further resources on animal histories, see our Resource Pack on navigating animal encounters in the archive. Watch a recording of our session on Extinction and Hope as part of the Research Routes series here.

Further research related to pollution can be found in our Resource Pack from the Talking Records: Pollution in the Archive Symposium.

Lucy Razzall, Lora Angelova, and Elizabeth Haines, ‘From Habitat to Service Equipment: The British Government Book as Container in ‘the Tropics’, Inscription: The Journal of Material Text – Theory, Practice, History (2025)

1. Why use this guide?

Use this guide if you have an academic or a general interest in the business, political or media career of Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook (1879-1964).

The collection encompasses British social history, both World Wars, and landmark events, from the late Victorian era to mid-20th century. Key themes within the collection are explored in this guide.

2. What are these records?

The collections spans Lord Beaverbrook’s initial business career in Canada to becoming a British press baron (as owner of the Daily Express and Evening Standard), MP and Lord.  Subjects include the First World War when he was appointed Minister of Information, the Second World War when he was appointed Minister of Aircraft Production and Minister of Supply, and the 1926 General Strike.

The papers are arranged and catalogued in thirteen series under the collection reference YBBK.

YBBK/A: Canadian Correspondence (Part I – Chronological – Part II & III Reference to British politics)

YBBK/B: English General Correspondence (Includes constituency files – Ashton under-Lyne and Empire Crusade Campaign correspondence)

YBBK/C: Special Persons Correspondence (Politicians, Writers, Journalists and Artists)

YBBK/D: World War Two (Correspondence and Cabinet Papers)

YBBK/E : World War One (Correspondence and Cabinet Papers)

YBBK/F : Campaigns, Propaganda and Speeches (Includes the anti-Common Market campaign)

YBBK/G: Material for Publication (Includes papers related to his historical writing both primary and secondary sources)

YBBK/H: Newspaper and Business Correspondence (Including his links to cinema, film, newsprint, and his Beaverbrook Foundation)

YBBK/I: Office and Secretarial Files

YBBK/J: Private and Personal Business Papers (Includes estate accounts, properties, horse stables and yachts)

YBBK/K: Personal Papers and Family Correspondence (Includes engagement diaries. Cashbooks, visitor books, school records, wine cellar records and medical records)

YBBK/L : Press Cuttings (Newspapers articles on himself or written by him. Also, significant events and society weddings)

YBBK/P : Photographs and Other Images (includes films and records)

3. How to get a search started

The documents consist of a variety of items. You can search using keywords or browse the catalogue to get a better understanding of the filing system. See example below.

How a document is catalogued:

Collection reference: YBBK

Box Number: B

Folder Number: 24

The orderable reference is the folder:

4. Other sources

Lord Beaverbrook’s contributions to debates in Parliament can be found in Hansard, which is available online on the Parliament website. Please note there are some volumes missing from the online data.

An index for Beaverbrook’s contributions can also be found on the Historic Hansard website.

The National Library of Canada holds papers of Lord Beaverbrook, including microfilm copies of papers relating to Canada taken from the Parliamentary Archives collection now held at The National Archives.

The administrative records of the Beaverbrook Library are in the Parliamentary Archives collection now held at The National Archives (YBBL).

Beaverbrook’s Book Collection (a substantial number of published books) is held at YBBK/BOOK.

Other collections of records can be found using the record creator search in Discovery,

5. Further reading

Katharine Bligh, ‘Catalogue of the Beaverbrook Papers in the House of Lords Record Office. Volume I: Canadian and Business Papers’ (1997)

Katharine V Wheeler, ‘A guide to the political papers, 1874-1970, deposited by the First Beaverbrook Foundation’

Anne Chisholm and Michael Davie, ‘Beaverbrook: A Life’ (1992)

Gregory P Marchildon, ‘Profits and Politics: Beaverbrook and the Gilded Age of Canadian Finance’ (1996)

A J P Taylor, ‘Beaverbrook’ (1972)

Charles Williams, ‘Max Beaverbrook: Not Quite a Gentleman’ (2019)

1. Why use this guide?

Use this guide if you are interested in the life of former Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law (1858-1923).

The collection covers his political career and personal life.

2. What are these records?

The papers of Andrew Bonar Law cover his political career from 1900 to 1923, including his brief term as Prime Minister during 1922-1923. Some of the main themes within the collection are tariff reform and Irish home rule. The collection also includes his involvement in the First World War and the post-war period.

In addition to his political career, the collection holds records connected to his family and personal life.

3. How to get a search started

The collection begins with family, personal, and business correspondence from c.1881, before his political career had begun, to his death in 1923.

Most of the collection is catalogued by the different political roles he held throughout his career. These include:

• Member of Parliament (1900-1923)
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (1902-1905)
• Secretary of State for the Colonies (1915-1916)
• Chancellor of the Exchequer (1916-1919)
• Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal (1919-1921)
• Leader of the House of Commons (1916-1921 & 1922-1923)
• Leader of the Conservative Party (1911-1921 & 1922-1923)
• Prime Minister (1922-1923)

The last few series in the collection are additional papers provided by Bonar Law’s grandson, Bonar Sykes, many years later.

Some of the collection is catalogued in detail, listing each individual letter in the folder. For letters, the title will include the sender’s name, address (if provided), and date of the letter, as well as a brief summary of the letter’s contents in the description.

However, not all series within the collection have this level of detail. Instead, they are catalogued by folder or bundle with a general description of the contents.

The main types of documents within this collection are letters and political papers, but there are also other records such as speech extracts, press cuttings and photographs. You can search the collection using keywords or browse through the online catalogue from collection level YBL.

Example of hierarchy:

YBL/112: Prime Minister, Special Series, Correspondence ([1922-1923])

The orderable reference is:

Containing:

4. Other sources

Bonar Law’s contributions to debates in Parliament can be found in Hansard.

Bonar Law’s contributions can also be found on the Historic Hansard website.

Other collections of records can be found using the record creator search in Discovery5. Further reading

R J Q Adams, ‘Bonar Law’ (1999)

Robert Blake, ‘The Unknown Prime Minister’ (1955)

A J P Taylor, ‘British Prime Ministers and Other Essays’ (1999), pp. 100-103

Andrew Taylor, ‘Bonar Law’ (2006)

H A Taylor, ‘The Strange Case of Andrew Bonar Law’ (1932)

History of the UK Government – Past Prime Ministers – Andrew Bonar Law

Parliamentary Archives blog – Andrew Bonar Law

 

1. Why use this guide?

Use this guide if you have an academic or general interest in the political career of former Prime Minister David Lloyd George. The collection encompasses British social history and the First World War, plus various international affairs from this period.

2. What are these records?

The collection spans Lloyd George’s career from 1882 to 1945, including his time as Prime Minister, as Minister of Munitions during the First World War, and as Chancellor of the Exchequer and President of the Board of Trade. Subjects covered include the Paris Peace Conference, women’s suffrage, Ireland, labour relations, as well as matters concerning his constituency and Wales.

The papers are arranged under collection reference YLG and catalogued in ten series:

YLG/A: Member of Parliament up to 1905

YLG/B: President of the Board of Trade 1905-1908

YLG/C: Chancellor of the Exchequer 1908-1915

YLG/D: Minister of Munitions, 1915-1916

YLG/E: Secretary of State for War, 1916 (June-December)

YLG/F: Prime Minister 1916-1922 (including the First World War, 1918 Coupon Election, Paris Peace Conference, Ireland)

YLG/G: Post premiership years 1922-1945 (including papers relating to his memoirs and his proposed ‘New Deal’)

YLG/H: Press cuttings (alphabetical, mainly post-1922)

YLG/I: Personal correspondence & papers (mainly family and household but does include speech notebooks).

YLG/P: Photographs (including from 1919 Paris Peace Conference)

The papers are catalogued item by item until the end of 1922, after which the catalogue rapidly falls into file listing and even box listing only. The documents have generally been arranged according to types of correspondence and papers.

3. How to get a search started

The documents include letters, minutes, and memoranda. You can search using keywords or browse the online catalogue to get a better understanding of the filing system: see the example below.

How a document is catalogued:

Collection reference: YLG

Box Number: F

Folder Number: 21

The orderable reference is:

Containing:

The sender’s name and address, if given, are noted in the document description and indicate if the correspondence is deemed ‘private’. The number of pages is not generally stated. Most documents are dated and if letters are undated, they are placed at the end of the folders. Brief summaries are made in the description text.

4. Other sources

Most of Lloyd George’s personal papers and that of his secretary, A J Sylvester, are deposited in the National Library of Wales.

Papers of Frances Stevenson, Lloyd George’s mistress and second wife, are in the Parliamentary Archives collections held at The National Archives (YFLS).

Lloyd George’s contributions to debates in Parliament can be found in Hansard, which is available online. Please note there are some volumes missing from the online data.

Lloyd George’s contributions can also be found on the Historic Hansard website.

Papers of Lloyd George as Minister of Munitions (1915-1916) are held at The National Archives in MUN 9 Lloyd George Papers.

Other collections of records can be found using the record creator search in Discovery

5. Further reading

A J P Taylor (ed), ‘Lloyd George: Twelve Essays’ (1971)

Bentley Brinkerhoff Gilbert, ‘David Lloyd George: A Political Life’ (1992)

John Grigg, ‘Lloyd George’ (4 vols, 1973-2002)

Frank Owen, ‘Tempestuous Journey – Lloyd George: His Life and Times’ (1954)

Hugh Purcell, ‘Lloyd George’ (2006)

National Library of Wales online exhibition, David Lloyd George

 

 

 

 

 

1. Why use this guide?

This guide sets out the context for records of the of the Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Death of Dr David Kelly CMG chaired by Lord Hutton (known as the Hutton Inquiry) that are held by The National Archives.

The inquiry was set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr Kelly on 18 July 2004. This included the events prior to the death of Dr Kelly, if and how they contributed to his state of mind and ultimately influenced the actions he took leading up to his death. Based on the evidence of witnesses, a detailed account of relevant facts was collated in order to highlight the motives of the individuals who made decisions and acted in ways which impacted on Dr Kelly.

The focus for this guide is the records of the inquiry that have been transferred to The National Archives having been selected in line with The National Archives’ Acquisition and Disposition policies in line with the Public Records Act 1958. Access to the content of the records is managed in line with current information rights legislation.

2. Where to go for further support, if you have been affected by the content of these records/and or the event

Records from the Hutton Inquiry include content that some people may find distressing. If you have been affected by these records, you can find useful advice on looking after your mental health and wellbeing on the NHS Every Mind Matters website and from the mental health charity Mind.

3. The Inquiry

The inquiry was announced by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for the Department for Constitutional Affairs, The Right Honourable Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 18 July 2003 and the Terms of Reference for the inquiry were set on behalf of the government of the day by The Right Honourable Lord Falconer of Thoroton.

The terms of reference were to urgently investigate the circumstances surrounding the death, which Lord Hutton agreed would involve a detailed and careful examination of the relevant facts and that the procedures of the inquiry would be fair to those who gave evidence. The terms of references can also be found in the UK Government Web Archive at The National Archives: Archived Hutton Inquiry Web Site – Terms of Reference

The Right Honourable Lord Hutton was asked to chair the inquiry and approached it in two stages; the first stage consisted of calling witnesses to give evidence in chronological order as to the sequence of events insofar as that was possible and the second stage was to ask for certain persons to come back for further examination by counsel. The first stage of the Hutton Inquiry commenced on 11 August 2003 and concluded on 4 September 2003. The second stage commenced on 15 September 2003 and concluded on 25 September 2003. Further evidence was heard on 13 October 2003 for any witness who had been ill during the second stage of hearings.

The Hutton Inquiry paused the Oxfordshire Coroner’s inquest and there were terms of reference agreed between Thames Valley Police and the inquiry.

The inquiry formally opened on Friday 1 August 2003 and the final report was published on Wednesday 28 January 2004. The government response to the final report of the Hutton Inquiry was published on Wednesday 4 February 2004 (Hansard): [ARCHIVED CONTENT] Hutton Inquiry – Report by Lord Hutton

Before the official publication of the inquiry’s report, a British newspaper published some purported extracts from the conclusions of the report. This led to Lord Hutton investigating which person had advance access to the report. The source of the leaked extracts was not identified. Lord Hutton reported this to the Public Administration Select Committee on 13 May 2004.

4. What are these records?

The records of the Hutton Inquiry, as public records, have been through the process of appraisal, selection, and sensitivity review before being transferred to The National Archives for permanent preservation in line with the Public Records Act 1958.

Evidence was received throughout the lifetime of the inquiry and contributed to the inquiry report. All documents received as evidence by the Inquiry were disclosed to core participants. Evidence that was referred to in the inquiry hearings or referenced in the Inquiry report or published on the inquiry website was selected for permanent preservation and has been transferred to The National Archives.

Some of the evidence predates the establishment of the Hutton Inquiry itself. Most evidence is in paper format, except for some photographs, letters, and one audio recording. The evidence was given unique reference numbers by the inquiry. For example, each contributor, bundle and document page has a reference

The contents of the Inquiry website have been captured in the UK Government Web Archive. [ARCHIVED CONTENT] Hutton Inquiry Web Site – Evidence

In addition to those already published on the inquiry website, certain administrative records of the Hutton Inquiry have also been selected for permanent preservation and transferred to The National Archives. These include the Official Solicitor papers, in RJ 4, correspondence in RJ 2 and Legal Counsel papers in RJ 5.

5. Supporting sensitivity and transparency

As part of preparing the records for transfer to The National Archives, the records of the Hutton Inquiry have undergone a comprehensive review of the content of each record to ensure they are managed in line with information rights legislation.

All decisions to ‘close’ information, either in whole or in part (i.e. through withholding an item entirely, or through applying redactions) have been made in line with the exemptions set out in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Exemptions). ‘Closed’ information may include things like an individual’s personal data, as defined by data protection legislation, or material which might endanger the physical or mental health or safety of an individual if it were to be disclosed. Closed information may also include law enforcement and information provided in confidence.

Where information has been withheld this will be for a defined period of time and records will be reassessed at the end of this period to determine whether the closed or redacted content can be opened to the public. Where records have been closed, this is indicated at record level in our online catalogue.

Where the inquiry has cited the name of an individual in the description field in The National Archives’ online catalogue the name may be used and is searchable in our online catalogue descriptions. This reflects the way that personal data was managed by the inquiry and reflects the handling of names on the inquiry website.

Because of the potentially distressing nature of some of these records, we have added an advisory note to the relevant online series descriptions and at the level of individual records/pieces.

6. How to access records held at The National Archives

The records of the Hutton Inquiry can be accessed using The National Archives’ online catalogue. The Hutton Inquiry is a hybrid series made up of a mixture of both original paper and digital records. The digital records of the inquiry (unless closed to public access) are available online.

The National Archives’ online catalogue will indicate the format of the record. If you need further help using our catalogue, please consult Discovery help.

Hutton Inquiry records are catalogued within the following series:

RJ 1 Evidence: Contains evidence considered by the inquiry. Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue.

RJ 2 Correspondence: Contains the correspondence of the Inquiry. Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue.

RJ 3 Media Coverage: Contains records of media coverage. Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue.

RJ 4 Official Solicitor’s working papers and Correspondence: Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue.

RJ 5 Counsel’s working papers: Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue.

RJ 6 Lord Hutton’s annotated copies of the evidence: Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue.

RJ 7 Hutton Inquiry Website: Contains the archived website of the Inquiry. Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue.

7. The inquiry report

The Hutton Inquiry report was published on 28 January 2004 and can be found in the UK Government Web Archive at The National Archives. [ARCHIVED CONTENT] Hutton Inquiry – Report by Lord Hutton

8. UK Government Web Archive resources

The UK Government Web Archive at The National Archives holds the following resources for the Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Death of Dr David Kelly (Hutton Inquiry).

The archived website of the Hutton Inquiry: [ARCHIVED CONTENT] Hutton Inquiry Web Site

9. Other sources

Material may also be found in other archives. A directory of UK archive services is available on The National Archives’ website: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/find-an-archive

 

1. Why use this guide?

This guide is designed to help you locate records relating to Caribbean social and cultural history held at The National Archives.

It offers practical advice on how to find materials originating from both Britain and the former British West Indies. Alongside guidance on using our records, it also points to alternative sources where available.

In this guide, ‘Caribbean communities’ refers to people of Caribbean heritage. For help tracing your family history, see our guide to Caribbean ancestors.

1.1 Before you start

The National Archives holds records from UK central government departments and law courts. We do not hold community archives. References to Caribbean culture or religion appear only when relevant to government policy.

Many records relating to British colonial governance in the Caribbean are not held in the UK. After independence, internal administrative records remained in the Caribbean.

These include:

• Birth, marriage and death registers.
• Land ownership records.
• Correspondence with local government departments (e.g. departments of agriculture).
• Hospital and school records.

To access these records, you’ll need to contact the national archives or relevant institutions in the country where the records were created. See section 9 for help locating a Caribbean national archive.

1.2 Offensive language and terminology

When conducting research at The National Archives, you may encounter language that is outdated or offensive. We retain original titles and descriptions because they reflect the historical context and viewpoints of the time in which the records were created. Preserving this terminology is essential to maintaining the integrity of the archival record.

Our online catalogue does not include content warnings, so please be mindful when browsing or ordering records. To learn more, see our guidance on offensive terminology in The National Archives catalogue.

2. Online records

This section offers guidance on accessing online resources related to Caribbean social and cultural history. These are original historical records that have been digitised. Many online records require a paid subscription, but you may be able to access them for free at local libraries, archives, or universities.

You are welcome to visit us to view these online records using our public computers, where access is free of charge.

2.1 Newspapers

Start online to find newspapers or articles about Caribbean communities in Britain and the Caribbean. Several websites offer access to relevant newspapers, including:

• British Newspaper Archive – (includes newspapers from Britain and the British Caribbean. charges apply).
• The Gazette – (includes the London, Belfast, and Edinburgh Gazette).
• Digital Library of the Caribbean – (includes the Caribbean Newspaper Digital Collection and other resources).

2.2 Administrative records of British colonial governments

To locate records from 1573 to 1739 (covering North America and the West Indies), start by searching the subscription database Colonial State Papers published by ProQuest or British History Online.

Colonial Office correspondence records related to the Caribbean from 1624 to 1870 are available in the subscription database Colonial Caribbean published by AM Digital.

2.3 Photographs, maps and plans

The National Archives holds many photographs, maps, and plans taken or collected by British diplomats and officials in the Caribbean. Some of these have been digitised.

You can view a selection of these images through our Image Library website and the World Through a Lens gallery on Flickr. Please note that these platforms do not include our full collection.

3. Accessing original records

Our online catalogue  displays records using a title, reference number, and brief description. When you search using keywords, you’re searching these descriptions—not the full content of the records. Many records cannot be found using a general keyword search in our online catalogue. To locate the information you need, you may need to consult indexes, registers, or the original physical documents. This often means visiting us in person to carry out the research. For more help using our catalogue, you can watch our short video guide.

You can visit us in person to continue your research—access to our records is free of charge. Before visiting, please check our website for opening hours and ID requirements. If you can’t visit or would like someone to carry out research on your behalf, you can pay for research.

When you click on a search result, you’ll see whether the record is available online or if you need to view it onsite. You can also request copies directly from the catalogue description page. If a record is held by another archive, you’ll need to contact them directly to find out how to access it.

3.1 Keyword searches

To search our online catalogue effectively, consider the historical context and use terms that were used at the time. Section 1.2 explains our language policies in full.

Use broad search terms and combinations to uncover more records, such as:

• Jamaica AND education
• Barbados AND welfare
• Guyana AND trade
• Montserrat AND agriculture

When searching by location, consider historical names like ‘West Indies’ for the Caribbean or ‘Guiana’ for Guyana.

To research specific migrant or Indigenous groups in the Caribbean, it may be necessary to use racialised terminology that is now considered offensive or outdated.

• Indigenous communities: Carib AND St Vincent.
• African heritage: Negro AND Bahamas, Maroon AND Jamaica
• South Asian heritage: Coolie AND Tobago
• East Asian heritage: Chinese AND Coolie

Including place names where communities were concentrated can also help. For example:

• Owia AND St Vincent (Indigenous Carib community)
• Accompong AND Jamaica (Maroon town)

3.2 Searching by government department

You can use advanced search to narrow your results by date range or by department reference—usually shown as two or three capital letters at the start of a record reference (e.g. CO for Colonial Office). Below are some useful department codes and links to their description in the online catalogue.

• CO – Colonial Office
• CK – Commission for Racial Equality
• CAB – Cabinet Office
• LAB – Department of Employment
• BT – Board of Trade
• HO – Home Office
• HLG – Ministry of Housing and Local Government
• PREM – Prime Minister’s Office

Using department reference codes in the advanced search tool—alongside relevant keywords and date ranges—can help you find records related to specific areas of government activity.

4. Caribbean communities in Britain, 1919-2000

The National Archives holds a wide range of records showing how the UK government engaged with Caribbean migrant communities between 1919 to 2000. Topics include employment, housing, policing, and race relations.

If you’re researching a specific UK city, region, or community organisation, relevant records are often held in local, county, or specialist archives. For records relating to Black British history, see our guide to Black British social and political history in the 20th century.

For earlier records relating to Black British communities in Britain from 1500 to 1850, consult our Black presence webpage.

5. Communities in the Caribbean during the late colonial period,1830s-1960s

Based in London, the Colonial Office oversaw the administration of the whole of the British Empire, while local Caribbean governments managed daily affairs. Colonial Office records include key records on British commerce and governance in the Caribbean, created or received in London and organised into major record types listed below.

5.1 Government correspondence

The National Archives holds a rich collection of records offering insight into British colonial governance in the Caribbean. These include:

• Colonial Office Correspondence: Consist of letters on political, economic, and social matters. Some are searchable in our catalogue; most are accessible using the Colonial Caribbean database published by AM Digital (see section 2.2). Organised by colony — see appendix.

• Government Gazettes: Colonial newspapers with official notices and statistics. Not digitised or searchable by keywords in our catalogue. Many are available online using the Digital Library of the Caribbean (see section 2.1). Organised by colony — see appendix.

• Colonial Acts and Sessional Papers: Includes legislative activities and daily operations of colonial councils, including laws and council papers. Not digitised or searchable in our catalogue. Organised by colony — see appendix.

• Statistical Blue Books: Annual reports with data on governance, education, trade, and more. Not keyword searchable in our catalogue. Digitised in the Caribbean Colonial Statistics 1824–1950 database by British Online Archives (not accessible via The National Archives).

For further guidance and information, refer to our guide Colonies and Dependencies from 1782.

5.2 Indentured labour

During the nineteenth century, many workers arrived in the Caribbean under contracts of indenture. Our research guide on Indian indentured labourers outlines how to find related records and offers tips for researching Chinese indentured labourers.

5.3 Schools, hospitals, prisons, and social conditions

To find records on schools, hospitals, prisons, workhouses, orphanages, or welfare organisations in the Caribbean, start with the national archive of the relevant country. You may also find useful material in church, missionary, and charity records—both from the Caribbean and the UK. See section 9 for help locating a Caribbean national archive.

The National Archives holds some related material, often in the form of summary reports within Colonial Office correspondence. For example, CO 318/131 includes a list of organisations that contacted the Colonial Office about Caribbean education in 1837.

Click on any of the reference codes below to open that series in our online catalogue. To narrow your search, try using keywords like “schools,” “prisons,” or “hospitals” (for example: school AND west indies). Many of these records aren’t available online, so once you’ve found something relevant, you may need to visit us in person to view it.

• CO 859 – This series contains files of the Colonial Office: Social Services Department on trade unions, labour conditions, public health, education, housing throughout the former British Empire, 1939-1966.
• CO 950 – Includes records of the West India Royal Commission, such as working papers, oral and written evidence, and Secretariat circulars to members, 1938-1939.
• CO 1042 – Holds records of the West Indies Development and Welfare Organisation, covering welfare services, health, education, housing, public administration, 1938-1958.
• CO 318 – Contains original correspondence from across the West Indies relating to welfare, labour, economic development, education, and other matters, 1624-1951. This series is keyword searchable through the Colonial Caribbean subscription database by AM Digital (see section 2.2).

To find records in other parts of the collection, use the advanced search in the catalogue with the reference code CO. Combine keywords (e.g. “health”, “asylum”) with locations (e.g. “Barbados”) for targeted results (consult section 2.2 for relevant subscription databases).

5.4 Culture and religion

The National Archives mostly holds government records, which reference Caribbean culture or religion only when relevant to policy.

For more detailed information on cultural and religious practices, consult church and missionary archives, ethnographic museum collections, published sources, and community archives.

To search our collections, use the advanced search in the catalogue with reference code CO, combining keywords with specific locations (e.g. “obeah” AND “Jamaica”) for better results (see section 2.2 for relevant subscription databases).

5.5 Social and political activism and anti-colonial struggles

To locate records on social and political activism or anti-colonial struggles, use the advanced search in the catalogue.  Set the reference code to CO combined with relevant keywords such as “disturbance” or “rebellion” — with specific locations (e.g. “Morant Bay” AND “rebellion”) for more targeted results (refer to section 2.2 for relevant subscription databases).

Many records related to mid-twentieth century anti-colonial struggles are held in series FCO 141 also known as ‘the migrated archives’. These records aren’t available online, so once you’ve found something relevant, you’ll need to visit us in person to view them.

Click the reference code below to open that series in our online catalogue. To narrow your search, try using keyword terms such as “strike” or “unrest” — with specific locations.

• FCO 141 – Records of Former Colonial Administrations: Migrated Archives, 1835-2012.

6. Caribbean communities in the 17th-18th centuries

During the early colonial period, Britain rapidly expanded its presence in the Caribbean, record-keeping related to ports, plantations, and forts increased. While most decisions were made by local officials—whose records are often held in the Caribbean—many matters were referred to UK government bodies for review.

To support your research, we offer the following guides:

American and West Indian Colonies before 1782
Find records on:

• • British colonial administration in the Caribbean
  • Early settlements, Indigenous relations, piracy, and the transatlantic slave trade

Calendar of State Papers Colonial, 1573–1739
Use this detailed calendar index to find:

• • Summaries of correspondence between colonial governors and the Secretary of State
  • References to individuals, places, and events

High Court of Admiralty
Includes records on:

• • Ship captures and seizures in the Caribbean, including those linked to the slave trade
  • Maritime crimes such as piracy and mutiny

6.1 Indigenous communities in the Caribbean

In the late 15th century, the Caribbean was home to around 13 million Indigenous people. The Taíno lived in the Greater Antilles, and the Kalinago (also known as Caribs) lived in the Lesser Antilles. The National Archives holds very few records on the Taíno. However, some early British records mention the Kalinago, particularly where they lived alongside English settlers.

The following record series contain material relating to Indigenous communities in the Caribbean. Many of these records are not keyword searchable online. To access them, you’ll need to visit us in person and consult the original documents.

Click the reference codes below to browse the collections in our online catalogue. They are typically organised by date.

• CO 1 and CO 5 – Include early Colonial Office papers from the Leeward Islands (Barbados, St Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, and Montserrat), 1574–1757. Some records have been digitised and are keyword searchable in the ‘Colonial State Papers’ subscription database (see section 2.2).

• HCA 13 – Mentions the Indigenous peoples in the Caribbean, Central America, and the Guianas, 1536-1826.

6.2 Early settler communities

British emigration to the Caribbean began after the Treaty of London in 1604. Over the next 50 years, Britain occupied several islands, including the Bahamas, St Kitts, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbados, Nevis, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman. From the 17th century onward, tens of thousands of people left the UK and Ireland for the West Indies.

Very few passenger lists survive before 1890. For guidance on locating settler records, see our research guide on emigration and emigrants.

The State Papers are the most accessible source for letters, reports, and depositions from officials, sailors, and colonists and are searchable at Colonial State Papers (subscription required).

6.3 British transatlantic slave trade

Our research guide provides advice for locating records related to Slavery and the British transatlantic slave. It covers:

• Transportation Records: Ship logs and manifests documenting the movement of enslaved Africans and goods.
• Plantation Records: Account books and diaries revealing plantation life and economic operations.
• Government Records: Colonial Office files and legislation outlining the legal framework of slavery.
• Abolition & Post-Abolition Records: Materials on the abolition campaign and records of freed individuals and liberated Africans.

7. British military presence in the Caribbean

Britain maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean before and after independence. Records held at the National Archives include:

• Locally managed militias
• The West India Regiments
• The Royal Navy
• Records of forts and naval stations

7.1 Military campaigns

For British military operations in the Caribbean, refer to the following research guides:

• British Army Operations up to 1913
• British Army Operations in the Second World War
• Royal Navy operations and correspondence 1660-1914
• Royal Navy operations in the Second World War

7.2 Military–civilian relations

Records documenting the economic, legal, and social interactions between the British armed forces and colonial society can be found in Colonial Office correspondence. Consult section 5.1 for further information on Colonial Office correspondence.

7.3 Search tips

Use the advanced search with department codes and relevant keywords to locate military-related records:

Department codes:

• • WO – British Army
  • ADM – Royal Navy

Suggested keywords:

• • Military units: West India Regiment, Barbados Volunteer Force
  • Locations: barracks, forts, dockyards
  • Specific sites: Nelson’s Dockyard (Antigua)

7.4 Useful record series

Click on any of the reference codes below to start a keyword search in our catalogue. To narrow your results, try using place names like “Jamaica” or “Barbados.” These records aren’t available online, so once you’ve found something relevant, you’ll need to visit us in person to view it.

• WO 55 – Includes reports on army buildings, land holdings, and engineering projects, 1568-1932.
• ADM 128 – Contains Admiralty correspondence from North America and the West Indies, 1810-1913.
• ADM 106 – Includes records from Royal Naval dockyards in the Caribbean, including Jamaica and St. Lucia, 1650-1837.

8. Visual records

The sections below offer helpful guidance on how to locate visual records of the Caribbean within The National Archives’ collection—including maps, photographs, plans, fortifications, and infrastructure—created and gathered by colonial government departments. A small selection of this material can be accessed online (see section 2.3 for more information).

8.1 Maps and plans

To find maps and plans of the Caribbean, search our catalogue using keywords such as the country name, town, estate, parish, or specific building, combined with terms like “map” or “plan.” For detailed help, see our guide to Overseas Maps and Plans.

Click on any of the reference codes below to start a keyword search in our online catalogue. To narrow your results, try using place names like “British Guiana” or “Trinidad.” These records aren’t available online—you’ll need to visit us to view them.

• FO 925: Maps, plans, and atlases accumulated by the Foreign Office, 1700-1944.

• CO 700: First part of the Colonial Office “old collection” of maps and plans of former colonial territories, 1595-1927.

• CO 1047: Second part of the Colonial Office “old collection” of maps and plans of former colonial territories, 1779-1947.

• CO 1054: Colonial Office and its successor maps and plans, post-1940.

8.2 Photographs

Photographs of the Caribbean can be found throughout The National Archives’ collections. A small selection is available to view online (see section 2.3 for more information). However, most of our photograph collections are not digitised and must be consulted in person.

To search the online catalogue, use keywords such as “photograph AND Barbados.” For tips on advanced search techniques, see section 3.1 and our guide to researching photographs.

Click on any of the series codes below to open a keyword search in our online catalogue. To narrow your results, try adding a place name like “Bermuda” or “Trinidad.” Once you find a file you’re interested in, you’ll need to visit us in person to view it.

• CO 1069: Colonial Office photographic collection, 1815-1986.

• INF 10: British Empire Collection of Photographs, 1945-1965.

• COPY 1: Photographs registered for copyright protection with the Stationer’s Company, 1837-1912.

8.3 Film records

The British Film Institute (BFI) holds the archive collection of films commissioned by the British government. The National Archives holds some records relating to the commissioning and production of these government films.

Click on any of the reference codes below to start a keyword search in our catalogue. To narrow your results, try using place names like “Jamaica” or “West Indies.” These records aren’t available online, so once you’ve found something relevant, you’ll need to visit us in person to view it.

• INF 6: Central Office of Information film production documents, 1931–1997.

9. Records held by other archives

To locate local and national archive collections in the Caribbean, use the FamilySearch directory.

For further information on Caribbean-related archives, including catalogue listings for national and specialist archives across the Caribbean, explore this curated selection of books and pamphlets available in The National Archives library.

Community archives created by Caribbean communities in Britain are often held in local and specialist libraries across the UK. These can usually be found through an internet search.

10. Further reading

The National Archives library offers books and pamphlets with catalogue listings and details on Caribbean-related collections held by national and specialist archives across the region. You can browse this selection in our library catalogue.

Mandy Banton, Administering the Empire, 1801-1968: A guide to the records of the Colonial Office in The National Archives of the UK. (University of London and The National Archives, 2015)

University of the West Indies, The Journal of Caribbean history. (Departments of History, University of the West Indies, 1970)

Gad Heuman, The Caribbean: A brief history. (Bloomsbury, 2014)

Appendix. Colonial Office government gazettes and correspondence

The table below is organised by country and lists the catalogue references needed to locate and browse the relevant government gazettes and correspondence. These records are typically arranged by date and are not keyword searchable.

Once you’ve identified a relevant file in the catalogue, you will need to visit us in person to view it. Click on the series references below to browse the record series in the online catalogue by date, hierarchy, or reference (see the top of the page).

Name/ former colonial name	Additional names/terms to be aware of when searching	Government Gazette	Correspondence
Antigua and Barbuda	Antigua and Montserrat Leeward Islands West Indian Department Federation of the West Indies	See Leeward Islands CO 156 before 1967 See Federation of the West Indies DO 136 for 1958-1961 CO 1049 1967-89, 23 Volumes (Antigua)	CO 152, -1689-1816, 1872-1951 CO 7, 1702-1872, 144 Volumes CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Bahamas	The Bahamas West Indian Department	CO 564 1894–1965, 32 volumes	CO 23, 1696-1951   CO 1031, 1948-1967
Bay Islands	Ruatan Rattan Jamaica	See Jamaica CO 141	CO 34, 1851-1861
Barbados	Windward Islands West Indian DepartmentFederation of the West Indies	CO 32, 1867-1989, 269 volumes	CO 28, 1689-1873, 1886-1951, 343 volumes   CO 321, 1874-85 CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Belize	British Honduras Moskito/Mosquito Coast West Indian Department	CO 127, 1861-1975, 94 volumes	CO 123, 1744-1951, 27 volumes.   CO 1031, 1948-67
Bermuda	Virginia Company Bermuda Company of London Somers Islands West Indian Department	CO 647, 1902-89, 35 volumes	CO 37, 1687-1951 303 volumes   CO 1031, 1948-67
British Virgin Islands	St Croix St Thomas Leeward Islands West Indian Department	CO 156, 1883-1945, 60 volumes	CO 314, 1711-1872   CO 152, – before 1854 and after 1872   CO 1031, after 1951-1967
Cayman Islands	Jamaica West Indian Department Federation of the West Indies	See Jamaica CO 141 before 1956 CO 1019, 1956-90, 67 volumes	CO 137 1670-1951   CO 1031 – 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Dominica	Leeward Islands Windward Islands West Indian DepartmentFederation of the West Indies	See Leeward Islands before 1865 CO 75, 1865-1975, 57 volumes	CO 71, 1730-1872   CO 152, 1873-1940   CO 321, 1940-1951   CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Federation of the West Indies	Antigua and Barbuda Barbados Dominica Grenada Jamaica St Kitts and Nevis St Vincent Trinidad and Tobago West Indian Federation West Indies Federation	DO 136, 6 volumes, 1958-1961	CO 1031, 1948-1967 DO 200, 1961-1967 FCO 43, 1967-1968
Grenada	Windward Islands West Indian DepartmentFederation of the West Indies	CO 105, 1834-1975, 75 volumes	CO 101, 1747-1873   CO 321, 1874-1951   CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Guyana	Berbice Demerara Essequibo British Guiana West Indian Department	CO 115, 1838-1975, 322 volumes	CO 111, 1781-1951   CO 1031, 1948-1967
Jamaica	Bay Islands Cayman Islands Colony of Jamaica West Indian Department Federation of the West Indies	CO 141, 1794-1968, 369 volumes	CO 137, 1689-1951   CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Leeward Islands	Antigua Dominica Nevis Montserrat St Christopher (St Kitts) Virgin Islands West Indian Department	1872-1965 60 volumes	CO 152, 1689-1951
Montserrat	Antigua and Montserrat Leeward Islands West Indian Department Federation of the West Indies	See Leeward Islands CO 156 before 1967 CO 1049, 1967–89, 23 volumes	CO 175, 1726-1872   CO 152, 1873-1951   CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Saint Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla	St Christopher Leeward Islands West Indian Department Federation of the West Indies	See Leeward Islands CO 156 before 1879 CO 242, 1879–1989, 53 volumes	CO 239, 1702-1822   CO 152, 1689-1816, 1872-1951   CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
St Lucia	Windward Islands West Indian Department Federation of the West Indies	CO 257, 1857–1975, 125 volumes	CO 253, 1709-1873   CO 321, 1874- 1951   CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Windward IslandsWest Indian Department Federation of the West Indies	CO 264 1831–1975, 82 volumes	CO 260, 1668-1873   CO 321, 1874-1951     CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Santo Domingo	Dominican Republic	None	CO 245 1693-1805
Tobago	Trinidad and Tobago Windward Islands Federation of the West Indies	CO 289, 1872–98, 7 volumes See Trinidad CO 299 after 1898	CO 285, 1700-1873 CO 295, 1873-1951 CO 321 1874-1951 CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Trinidad	Trinidad and Tobago Windward Islands Federation of the West Indies	CO 299, 1833–1975, 193 volume	CO 295, 1783-1951 CO 321 1874-1951 CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
Turks and Caicos Islands	Bahamas (Turks) Jamaica (Caicos) West Indian Department Federation of the West Indies	See Jamaica CO 141 after 1907 CO 681, 1907–65, 13 volumes	CO 23, 1799-1848   CO 301, 1848-1882   CO 137, 1874- 1951 CO 1031, 1948-1967 See Federation of the West Indies after 1958
West Indian Department	Covers correspondence from a range of islands/territories from 1948 onwards	See separate islands/territories	CO 1031 1948-1967
Windward Islands	Barbados Dominica Grenada St Lucia St Vincent Tobago West Indian Department	See separate islands/territories	CO 321 1874-1951

 

This guide contains very brief details of these records. We will be expanding its content soon.

1. Where to go for further support, if you have been affected by the content of these records/and or the events they describe

Records from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse include content that some people may find distressing. If you have been affected by these records, you can find useful advice on looking after your mental health and wellbeing on the NHS Every Mind Matters website and from the mental health charity Mind.

2. How to access records held at The National Archives

The records of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse can be accessed using The National Archives’ online catalogue. Most of the records are held in digital format and (unless closed to public access) are available online.

The National Archives’ online catalogue will indicate the format of the record. If you need further help using our catalogue, please consult Discovery help.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse records are catalogued within the following series:

• ICSA 1: contains the archived website of the Inquiry. See the section below for links to the UK Government Web Archive.
• ICSA 2: contains the evidence considered by the Inquiry. Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue.
• ICSA 3: contains the administrative (corporate records) of the Inquiry. Search or browse descriptions in our catalogue.
• ICSA 4: contains the archived Twitter (X) channel of the Inquiry. See the section below for links to the UK Government Web Archive.
• ICSA 5: contains the archived You Tube channel of the Inquiry. See the section below for links to the UK Government Web Archive.
• ICSA 6: contains the Inquiry’s  archived Truth Project Website. See the section below for links to the UK Government Web Archive.
• ICSA 7: contains the archived Twitter (X) channel of the Victim and Survivor Consultative Panel. See the section below for links to the UK Government Web Archive.

3. UK Government Web Archive resources

The UK Government Web Archive at The National Archives holds other Inquiry resources.

• Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) (https://www.csa-inquiry.independent.gov.uk/) – Website
• Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) (https://www.iicsa.org.uk/) – Website
• Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) – Truth Project
• Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) – Twitter Archive
• Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) – Victim and Survivor Consultative Panel – Twitter Archive
• Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) – YouTube Archive

4. Other sources

Material can be found in the archives of both local authorities and private organisations. This may include reports; reviews; briefings; minutes; notes recordings and correspondence in relation to individuals, organisations, institutions, or public bodies. It may also include material relevant to statutory responsibilities for the care of children in public or private care; material relevant to the development of policy on child protection; or material relevant to the development of legislation on child protection.

A directory of UK archive services can be found on The National Archive website: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/find-an-archive