Guidance

Preparation for transfer to The National Archives of FCDO annual departmental files

Under the Public Records Act, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office must transfer files selected for permanent preservation to The National Archives.

In 2013 the UK government began its move towards releasing records when they are 20 years old, instead of 30. Government departments were required to transfer 2 years’ worth of their records to The National Archives (TNA) each year until 2022.

Until the merger of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) into the FCDO, the 2 former departments used distinct ways of prioritising their review of standard departmental files. In both cases the approach was adapted to the size and nature of their standard file collections and agreed with the independent Advisory Council on National Records and Archives.

The FCO prioritised the preparation for release of high priority annual departmental files created between 1983 and 2002. These high priority files are chiefly records created by the main geographical departments of the former FCO, although the historical significance of events reported in the files also comes into play in our prioritisation. Due to the volume of annual departmental files and the resources required for our non-standard files release programme, the FCO had to postpone the review of lower priority annual departmental files.

Around 2027, we expect to have completed the preparation for transfer of high priority former FCO files created between 1983 and 2002. We will then start the review and preparation for transfer of lower priority FCO files created over that period in addition to high priority files created after 2002. In DFID’s case, owing to smaller volumes involved, all files have been reviewed over a designated 3-year time period, most recently DFID departmental files created between 1995 and 1997.

Timetable for preparing annual departmental files for release

This timetable shows the:

  • order in which the FCDO is preparing 1994 and later files for release
  • year when we expect the files to be ready for physical transfer from the FCDO’s archive to TNA

For forthcoming releases, the timetable does not show the date when the files will be available for public release at TNA. Following physical transfer, TNA needs more time to prepare the files for release.

Files that TNA is currently preparing are shown as ‘Transferred to TNA’. All high priority annual departmental files before 1994 have been transferred to TNA.

TNA class and record description Year Readiness for transfer to TNA
FCO 7: Latin America 1994 2024
FCO 7: Latin America 1995 2025
FCO 8: Middle East 1994 Available at TNA
FCO 8: Middle East 1995 2025
FCO 9: Southern Europe 1994 2024
FCO 9: Southern Europe 1995 2025
FCO 15: South East Asia 1994 2024
FCO 15: South East Asia 1995 2025
FCO 21: Far Eastern 1994 Available at TNA
FCO 21: Far Eastern 1995 2025
FCO 30: European Integration 1994 2024
FCO 30: European Integration 1995 2025
FCO 33: Western Europe 1994 2024
FCO 33: Western Europe 1995 2025
FCO 37: South Asian 1994 2024
FCO 37: South Asian 1995 2025
FCO 40: Hong Kong 1994 Transferred to TNA
FCO 40: Hong Kong 1995 2025
FCO 58: United Nations 1994 2024
FCO 58: United Nations 1995 2025
FCO 82: North America 1994 2024
FCO 82: North America 1995 2025
FCO 87: Ireland 1994 Available at TNA
FCO 87: Ireland 1995 2025
FCO 93: Near East and North Africa 1994 Transferred to TNA
FCO 93: Near East and North Africa 1995 2025
FCO 98: European Integration (External) 1994 2024
FCO 98: European Integration (External) 1995 2025
FCO 169: Africa (Southern) 1994 2024
FCO 169: Africa (Southern) 1995 2025
FCO 170: Africa (Equatorial) 1994 2024
FCO 170: Africa (Equatorial) 1995 2025
FCO 175: Central Europe 1994 2024
FCO 175: Central Europe 1995 2025
FCO 176: Eastern Europe 1994 Available at TNA
FCO 176: Eastern Europe 1995 2025
FCO 177: Non-Proliferation and Defence 1994 2024
FCO 177: Non-Proliferation and Defence 1995 2025
FCO 178: Security Coordination 1994 2024
FCO 178: Security Coordination 1995 2025
FCO 179: Security Policy 1994 2024
FCO 179: Security Policy 1995 2025
FCO 182: Eastern Adriatic Department 1994 2024
FCO 182: Eastern Adriatic Department 1995 2025
FCO 192: Human Rights Policy 1994 2024
FCO 192: Human Rights Policy 1995 2025

Updates to this page

Published 17 November 2015
Last updated 8 January 2024 + show all updates
  1. Updated timetable.

  2. Updated timetable.

  3. New section added: Timetable for preparing annual departmental files for release.

  4. Updated table with 2019 information

  5. Timetable for preparing annual departmental files for release updated.

  6. tables updated.

  7. Page updated

  8. Preparation for transfer to The National Archives of FCO annual departmental files updated

  9. Timetable updated.

  10. Timetable updated.

  11. Document updated

  12. First published.

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