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Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2016 No. 394

Public Record Office

The Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2016

Made

7th November 2016

Coming into operation-

15th December 2016

The Department for Communities(1), makes the following Rules in exercise of the powers conferred by section 9 of the Public Records Act (NI) 1923(2) and now vested in it(3).

Citation and commencement

1.  These Rules may be cited as The Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2016 and shall come into operation on 15th December 2016.

Interpretation

2.  In these Rules—

“Deputy Keeper” means the Deputy Keeper of the Records of Northern Ireland;

“Office” means the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland;

“Reading room” means the area of the Office designated as such and in which records may be inspected;

“Search room” means the area of the Office designated as such and in which finding aids may be searched;

“Member of staff” means a person who is carrying out duties as an employee of the Department for Communities;

“FM contractor’s employee” means a person who is carrying out duties as an employee of a company contracted by the Department for Communities to provide facilities management services at the Office;

“Designated officer” means a member of staff or a FM contractor’s employee appointed as a designated officer by the Deputy Keeper to act on his behalf;

“Visitor” means a person other than:

(a)

a member of staff;

(b)

a FM contractor’s employee;

(c)

a person providing a service at the Office under a contract issued by the Department for Communities or by the Department of Finance.

Payment of fees

3.  The fees, as numbered in the first column of schedule 1, payable for the items or use of the records which are prescribed in the second column thereof, shall be the amounts in the third column of schedule 1.

Code of Conduct

4.—(1) The Deputy Keeper may from time to time publish on the official website of the Office a Code of Conduct.

(2) A Code of Conduct published under paragraph (1) shall include:

(a)the directions contained in schedule 2 to these Rules; and

(b)such other provision, including specific directions necessary for the management of the Office, as the Deputy Keeper considers appropriate.

Rules governing admission

5.—(1) A visitor seeking admission to the search room or to the reading room shall produce a valid Visitor Pass.

(2) To obtain a Visitor Pass, a visitor shall on, or before, the first occasion of seeking such admission—

(a)produce such evidence of identity as the Deputy Keeper may require;

(b)register, providing such details as the Deputy Keeper may require;

(c)sign a Declaration Form giving an undertaking to adhere to these Rules, to any Code of Conduct issued under rule 4 and to any other reasonable direction issued by the Deputy Keeper or by a designated officer.

(3) A person to whom a Visitor Pass has been issued under this rule must sign such copying and copyright declaration as the Deputy Keeper may require.

6.  A person to whom a Visitor Pass has been issued under rule 5 shall notify the Office in writing of any change of name or address.

7.  A person to whom a Visitor Pass has been issued under rule 5 shall be responsible for the security and safe handling of any record issued to him.

8.—(1) A person to whom a Visitor Pass has been issued under rule 5 may be excluded from the Office by revoking their Visitor Pass for a period of up to two years, for any of the following reasons—

(a)breach of these Rules;

(b)breach of any Code of Conduct issued under rule 4;

(c)damage to any record or other article in the Office; or,

(d)removal of any original record from the reading room.

(2) An appeal to the Deputy Keeper against exclusion from the Office must be made in writing.

Revocation

9.  The Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2009(4) are revoked.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Communities on 7th November 2016.

(L.S.)

Michael Willis (Dr)

A senior officer of the

Department for Communities

Rule 3

SCHEDULE 1

Fees Payable

Fees listed are exclusive of Value Added Tax.

Fees listed relate to optional products and services offered in addition to free access to records currently provided by the Office.

Column 1

No. of Fee

Column 2

Item

Column 3

Amount of Fee

Search and administration fees
1.For PRONI staff searching for specified information in the records (excluding any additional fees incurred), for each 15 minutes expended.£19.92
2.For PRONI staff administering orders for copying records (excluding any additional fees incurred), for each 15 minutes expended.£9.33
Reprographic fees
Self-service copying (excluding any additional fees incurred)
3.For using equipment provided in the search room or in the reading room for the use of visitors to produce a single paper copy up to and including A3.£0.25
4.For using equipment provided in the search room or in the reading room for the use of visitors to make a single digital download.£0.25
Paper copies of original documents per sheet
5.A4/A3 sheet.£4.00
6.A2 sheet.£10.75
7.A1 sheet.£14.92
8.AO sheet.£23.17
Digital images provided electronically. Charge per image (excluding any additional fees incurred)
9.For providing a single digital copy of a digital image held by the Office.£2.83
10.For creating and providing a single digital image of an original record held by the Office.£3.92
Reprographic orders requiring special attention
11.For producing copies of more than 100 different pages required for a single order (excluding any additional fees incurred), for each 15 minutes expended.£8.42
12.For any necessary preparation of records prior to copying (excluding any additional fees incurred), for each 15 minutes expended.£10.58
13.For any necessary digital enhancement required to produce a legible copy (excluding any additional fees incurred), for each 15 minutes expended.£10.00
Authentication of other copies and records
14.For certification of a copy of a page or part of a page of any record (excluding any additional fees incurred).£3.17
15.For attending a place other than the Office to produce and verify the authenticity of a record or any part of a record (excluding any additional fees incurred), for each 15 minutes expended.£11.33
Postage and packaging
16.Postage and packaging to be charged at cost subject to the minimum charge specified.Minimum charge £1.00
Costs incurred for sub-contracted or indirect services or goods
17.For services or goods provided by a 3rd party. To be quoted at full 3rd party costs.Full cost
Replacement visitor pass
18.To replace a Visitor Pass issued under rule 5.£8.33

Rule 4

SCHEDULE 2

Directions to be included in the Code of Conduct

Visitors will be responsible for the security of documents produced to them.

Visitors will be responsible for the safe handling of documents produced to them.

Visitors will bring only items specified in the Code of Conduct into the search room and reading room.

Visitors will extend respect and courtesy to others in the Office.

Visitors will abide by all health, safety and safeguarding requirements of the Office.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Rules revoke and replace the Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2009.

These Rules make provision for:

(1) the amounts of fees payable for the use of records (Rule 3);

(2) the Deputy Keeper to issue specific directions in a Code of Conduct (Rule 4);

(3) the formalities to be completed by visitors before they are allowed to use the records including the requirement to:

(i)produce evidence of identity;

(ii)sign an undertaking to adhere to these Rules;

(iii)comply with any Code of Conduct issued under Rule 4; and

(iv)comply with other reasonable directions given by the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer (Rule 5);

(4) the requirement for a person to whom a Visitor Pass has been issued to notify the Office in writing of any change of name or address (Rule 6);

(5) the responsibility of a person to whom a Visitor Pass has been issued for the security and safe handling of records (Rule 7);

(6) the suspension of a Visitor Pass and the reasons a visitor may be excluded from the Office (Rule 8(1));

(7) a visitor to lodge an appeal to the Deputy Keeper against exclusion from the Office (Rule 8(2)).