Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010

45 Transfer of records to Public Record Office

(1) In section 3 of the Public Records Act 1958 (selection and preservation of public records)—

(a) in subsection (4) (transfer to Public Record Office or to other appointed place of deposit of public records selected for permanent preservation), for “thirty years” substitute “20 years”, and

(b) after that subsection insert—

“(4A) Until the end of the period of 10 years beginning with the commencement of section 45 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, subsection (4) has effect subject to any order made under subsection (2) of that section.”

(2) The Lord Chancellor may by order make transitional, transitory or saving provision in connection with the coming into force of subsection (1)(a).

(3) An order under subsection (2) may in particular—

(a) provide for the time within which any records are to be transferred to the Public Record Office or other place of deposit referred to in section 3(4) of the Public Records Act 1958, and

(b) make different provision in relation to records of different descriptions.

(4) An order under this section is to be made by statutory instrument.

(5) A statutory instrument containing an order under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.