Guidance

MOD Information Management Report: 2020

Published 24 December 2020

© Crown copyright 2020

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transfer-of-mod-records-to-the-national-archives-reports-2020/mod-information-management-report-2020

Administrative Questions

Please select your department: Ministry of Defence

Does your response cover other agencies in addition to your department?

Yes:

  • Ministry of Defence: agencies and public bodies
  • Defence Electronics and Components Agency
  • Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
  • UK Hydrographic Office
  • National Army Museum
  • National Museum of the Royal Navy
  • Royal Air Force Museum
  • Single Source Regulations Office
  • Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors
  • Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body
  • Defence Nuclear Safety Committee
  • Independent Medical Expert Group
  • Nuclear Research Advisory Council
  • Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical
  • Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons
  • Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees
  • Central Advisory Committee on Compensation
  • Advisory Group on Military Medicine
  • Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
  • Defence Sixth Form College
  • Defence and Security Media Advisory Committee
  • Fleet Air Arm Museum
  • The Oil and Pipelines Agency
  • Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations
  • Royal Marines Museum
  • Royal Navy Submarine Museum
  • Service Complaints Ombudsman
  • Service Prosecuting Authority
  • United Kingdom Reserve Forces Association.

Paper record questions: Approach to appraisal, selection and sensitivity review

Administrative questions

Do you have a defined methodology for appraisal, selection and sensitivity review? Please describe.

Yes. Records are created in accordance with Joint Service Publication 441 – Information, Knowledge, Digital and Data in Defence, which provides MOD staff with guidance on the types of records that must be retained for permanent preservation. Appropriate retention periods are then applied to these records.

Once these records have reached the end of their retention period, they will be reviewed to assess whether they are still required for ongoing administrative or business purposes, they have some historic value or should be disposed of.

Those records surviving this stage will then be reassessed through the lens of MOD’s published Appraisal Report and the Sensitivity Reviewer’s Handbook, whereupon the records are either transferred open or closed to TNA, retained in the department or disposed of through gifting or destruction.

JSP 441: Defence information, knowledge, digital and data policy commitments

[Appraisal report on the National Archives website](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-441-defence-records-management-policy-and-procedures–20

Legacy and in-year paper records

Does your department have any legacy (1996 or older) or in-year (1997 and/or 1998) paper records?

Yes

Detailed questions on legacy and in-year paper records

How many legacy and/or in-year paper records do you have?

Type of record Legacy (up to and including 31 December 1996) In-year (1 January 1997 to 31 December 1998) Explanatory comments
Records still to be reviewed, not covered by Retention Instrument 331 3320 Administrative records held without a retention instrument. An application for a Retention Instrument for the legacy records has been submitted.
Records still to be reviewed, not covered by Retention Instrument. 46,000 0 World War 2 RAF Casualty Packs.
Records selected for transfer to the National Archives, not covered by Retention Instrument. 0 100 Administrative records.
Records selected for transfer to the National Archives, retained by mean of Retention Instrument. 9,636,749 0 9,308,000 military service personnel files, including those from World War 2, 275,849 footguard files and 52,900 maps that have been reviewed, selected for permanent preservation and are held with a Retention Instrument, but have not yet been transferred to the National Archives.
Records identified for presentation to a place of deposit. 45,150 0 45,000 photos to be presented to the National Collection of Air Photography and 150 records have been identified for presentation to various museums.
Records identified for presentation as a gift. 0 0  
Records awaiting destruction 118,122 81,801 198,593 administrative records from 1993/94 to 1997/98 and 1,330 geographic reference material (maps) have been identified at first review and are awaiting destruction. The destruction of many of these administrative records has been put on hold pending further review due to the ongoing Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
Records planned for transfer in calendar year 2020. 10000 200  
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