Archiving

It may be advisable to have a Records Management Policy for auditing purposes and for archiving reasons and to ensure compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This may include:

• How documents are stored at the public inquiry.

• The inquiry’s system for cataloguing documents - both in hard copy and on computer.

• Precise details of where the files are physically stored. Such storage must be compatible with the risks identified in the inquiry’s Risk Management Policy.

• A schedule of which documents have been uploaded on to the inquiry’s document management software. This may follow the distinction between unused and material documents. An explanation of how document numbers have been allocated should be included. Some documents may not have been loaded on for security reasons.
  

• A list of any hard copy documents that have not been uploaded on to the inquiry’s document management software. This should include details about them and details of where they are stored.

• A log of which documents have been served on whom. The inquiry team may need to retrieve documents at the end of the inquiry.

• Any other relevant document information.