National Archives - 20-Year Rule: Record Transfer Report

In 2013 the government will begin its move towards releasing records when they are 20 years old, instead of 30. The introduction of a 20-year rule is a key part of the government's transparency agenda and The National Archives is helping to manage the earlier release of the public record. In September 2012, 80 government bodies that transfer records to The National Archives provided data on the volume and transfer status of the records they hold that date from up to 1984. The transition to a 20-year rule will take place over ten years and this type of data will be collected throughout that time and published on our website. Read more about the data contained in the record transfer report.