TNAG-1834-FCO40-2608-Sensitivity-review-of-Hong-Kong-Government-records-1988 — Page 7

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and 1.1 million aperture cards*. The second sub-office in

Aberdeen houses the Intermediate Records Division which at

present serves only the public works departments.

Documents stored in the Public Records Office include land

and court records, war time records and maps and

photographs of archival value.

humidity levels of the

controlled and each is

prevention system.

three

The temperature and

are strictly

repositories

protected

by an automatic fire

5.

Decisions on which records are to be retained or

destroyed are normally made by the department or agency

of records of this

creating the records. The appraisal of

purpose may be undertaken on

periodically as an ad hoc exercise.

а routine basis or

Before records are

destroyed the PRO may be asked to identify material that

should be kept permanently as archives.

6.

Since 1952 it has been the practice under the

on a regular basis,

Vital Records Programme to microfilm,

certain classes of records designated as vital on the

ground that accidental loss or destruction of the originals

would cause serious disruption of official business or

injury to the interests of members of the public. Such

records are nominated from time to time by

various

Government agencies for

copying on microfilm.

These

include

drawings and plans, departmental

orders

*

Aperture Card : A card containing an opening or window into which is placed a single frame of microfilm, usually for mounting images of maps and plans.