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Babies, 1903. Cat ref: COPY 1/465
Young boy writing

Young boy writing

Meeting summaries

Meeting summaries of the United Kingdom Inter-Departmental Archives Committee (IDAC).

Membership

  • The National Archives: Natalie Ceeney, Chief Executive (chair)
  • The National Archives of Scotland: George Mackenzie, Keeper of the Records of Scotland
  • The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland: Dr Gerry Slater, Director
  • The Department of Communities and Local Government: Luke Scofield, Democracy and Local Governance Division
  • The Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Paul Barnes, Head of Museums Branch
  • Scottish Executive: Gavin Barrie, Head of National Collections Team
  • National Assembly for Wales: Debra Carter, Information Management Division
  • CyMAL: Mary Ellis, Head of Collections, Standards and Training
  • The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council: Chris Batt, Chief Executive
  • The National Council on Archives: Jonathan Pepler, Chair
  • British Library: Clive Field, Director of Scholarship and Collections
  • The National Archives: Nick Kingsley, Head of National Advisory Services & Secretary of the Historical Manuscripts Commission Dr David Thomas, Director of Government and Technology Meg Sweet, Head of Records Management Kevin Mulley, Secretary

Welsh version of the last meeting summary is available on the CyMAL website

Terms of reference

General aims

  1. To achieve consistency in the handling of archive policy matters within government throughout the United Kingdom, taking full account of the different legislative and governmental structures in each of its constituent countries.
  2. To put forward an appropriate policy and legislative framework for archives within Government, covering archival institutions in both the public and private sectors, for approval by Ministers and to review archival policy continuously to ensure that it is aligned with general government policy. To put forward options for a new nation-wide structure for archives.
  3. To encourage the development of cross-sectoral strategies, involving the archival, library, museums, educational and commercial sectors, in co-operation with the new Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLAC) and other relevant bodies.

England

  1. In view of the current distribution of responsibilities among several departments (Lord Chancellor/PRO, DCMS, DETR), to co-ordinate responses to issues of common concern.
  2. To work with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the National Council on Archives in the development of a regional structure for archives in England.

Scotland/Northern Ireland/Wales

  1. To provide a forum in which the government archival interests of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales can be discussed irrespective of the forms of devolution adopted.

United Kingdom

  1. To promote consistency of government archival policy and practice in the United Kingdom. To decide on matters proper to the United Kingdom as such.

Europe

  1. To speak on United Kingdom government archival interests to the European Union Secretariat. To monitor and influence developments in the European Union concerning archives and to co-ordinate actions so that the collective influence of UK countries on EU policy and operational decisions is maximised.