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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 10 Feb 2015
Oral Answers to Questions

"Will the Attorney-General confirm that neither the repeal of the Human Rights Act nor a British Bill of Rights could in any way diminish Britain’s obligations under the European convention on human rights, or does he disagree with his predecessor on that point?..."
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Written Question
Public Records
Tuesday 14th October 2014

Asked by: Lord Beith (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what targets have been set for the release of The Law Officers' Departments' material to the National Archives; what progress has been made in meeting those targets; and how many staff in The Law Officers' Departments are engaged in reviewing records for that purpose.

Answered by Robert Buckland

The Attorney General’s Office and the HM Crown Prosecution Service do not have any internal targets for the release of material to the National Archives (TNA) beyond the normal annual transfer. Neither office has anyone working full time on the transfer of material to TNA.

The Serious Fraud Office, which was formed in 1988, is currently undertaking an extensive review of all aspects of data and record retention and disposal, including transfer of material to the TNA under the 20 year rule. A number of staff are engaged in this work but it is not possible to separate staff resources involved in reviewing records for transfer from the overall staff resources involved in the review.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has an internal target to transfer approximately 80 criminal case files per calendar year to the TNA. To date the CPS has transferred cases up to 1977.

To meet the transitional timetable for moving from the 30 to 20 year rule, the CPS has outsourced the work required to prepare cases for permanent preservation for the years 1978 to 1984. 1978 cases will be ready for transfer to TNA by January, 2015. For 1979 to 1984 cases, applications for closure will be put before the next Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Council meeting in February, 2015.

The CPS has two full time case reviewers.

In 2013 the Treasury Solicitor’s Department (TSol) transferred 10 records to The TNA under the 20 year rule. TSol will meet the targets set to transfer records to TNA this year. An outstanding backlog of 300 files identified prior to the introduction of the 20 year rule was also transferred to TNA during 2013.

There are currently two staff in TSol engaged in reviewing records for that purpose.

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 09 Oct 2013
Abortion Act

"In her distinguished medical career, did my hon. Friend think, at any time, that because she could be taken to the General Medical Council for a failing of practice, she was exempt from the law of the land on a matter such as this?..."
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 09 Oct 2013
Abortion Act

"It would surely not be right in such circumstances merely to demonstrate that other plumbers engaged in conduct that did not meet professional standards, and no more would it of doctors...."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 06 Jul 2011
Phone Hacking

"I agree with what the hon. Gentleman is saying. Can we also agree that, in our handling of this matter, we must not for a moment prejudice the possibility of successful prosecutions of people who did these things?..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 09 Jun 2011
Dr David Kelly

"Will the Attorney-General note that when, along with my Intelligence and Security Committee colleagues, I questioned Dr Kelly two days before he died, I formed the view that a very distinguished public servant was deeply distressed by the situation in which he had placed himself? Although I am wholly unpersuaded …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 23 May 2011
Injunctions

"We would expect a Joint Committee to uphold the necessary rights of Parliament and defend them, but would any Committee not also have to look at the separate question of whether it can be right for someone to use Twitter or electronic media of other kinds to place something in …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 10 Feb 2011
Voting by Prisoners

"rose—..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 10 Feb 2011
Voting by Prisoners

"rose—..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 10 Feb 2011
Voting by Prisoners

"Various states will from time to time think that the Court has overstepped its limits and taken too broad a view of its powers. Are they all entitled at any stage to disregard its judgments, and what does that mean for the convention?..."
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