Collections Acquisition and Management Policy
Introduction
The London Archives exists to collect records of London’s rich past and to find and collect records of London’s vibrant and diverse present. These documents and images are selected, catalogued, stored and permanently preserved for the use and benefit of present and future generations.
The London Archives operates under the following statutory authorities:
- Law of Property Acts 1922-25
- Public Records Act 1958 and 1967
- Parochial Registers and Records Measures 1929, 1978 and 1992
- London Government Act 1963
- Local Government Acts 1972 and 1985
- Education Reform Act 1988
- Manorial Documents Rules 1960
- Tithe Act 1936
As a local authority archive service The London Archives operates under section 224 of the Local Government Act 1972. This requires principal councils to ‘make proper arrangements with respect to any documents that belong to or are in the custody of the council or any of their officers’; The London Archives also has custody of archives other than those produced by its own administration. We hold these records under the Local Government (Records) Act 1962. This gives councils discretionary powers to carry out various activities in relation to the records of other individuals and organisations, including official private and voluntary sector bodies.
The London Archives has been appointed by the Lord Chancellor to hold various central government and court records of local origin under the Public Records Act 1958.
The archives and records we hold are also affected by a wide variety of other legislation either relating to specific types of records (see above), or of general application such as the Data Protection Act 2018, Freedom of Information Act, 2000, Environmental Information Regulations, 2004, and the Public Sector Information Reuse Regulations, 2005.
Feedback
Please complete a comment form at The London Archives or contact us if you wish to give feedback on this policy.
This policy will be reviewed at least every two years to make sure it remains timely and relevant. It was last reviewed in July 2024.