The Archives Relocation Programme has announced that the Parliamentary Archives, its collections and some associated services will be relocating from the Palace of Westminster to The National Archives in Kew, bringing the records of the executive, legislature and judiciary under one roof for the very first time.
The Victoria Tower, in which the collections are located, was built in 1860 to store parliamentary records. It does, however, pose issues and risks for the long-term storage and care of the collections, and as the collections have grown over the years, substantial constraints on access to them. The move to The National Archives will ensure a long-term solution for the Parliamentary Archives and reduce risk to archive collections, staff and the public.
As an increasing proportion of the physical collection moves out of Victoria Tower, services which are dependent on access to it will need to be reduced and, in due course, paused completely to meet the timetable for the move to Kew. Some Parliamentary Archives services will also need to be tapered or modified to enable colleagues to focus on the moves, change activities and new activities associated with the programme and transition period.
To find out more about the move and the benefits of relocating to The National Archives, please visit the Archives Relocation Programme webpage (https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/archives-accommodation-programme/)
To find out more about the availability of the Parliamentary Archives Collections, please visit the Parliamentary Archives Plan Your Visit webpage (https://archives.parliament.uk/visit-us/plan-your-visit/)
Contact the Archives Relocation Programme with your questions or feedback by emailing archivesrelocation@parliament.uk. If you have any queries regarding access to the collections, please email: archives@parliament.uk.
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