MI5 urge National Archives to block access to documents

• Editor of News Alliance is denied access to 'open source' documents in attempt to stop him uncovering the truth about what his uncle tried to expose in Government Service
  

The National Archives is refusing the editor of News Alliance open access to a Royal Commission report investigating corruption in Public Office 1974-1976. This latest blocking tactic by Her Majesty's Government (HMG) makes a mockery of the claim that the National Archives is open to all members of the public.

The editor of News Alliance wrote to the Home Secretary several weeks ago asking for information regarding his late uncle John Francis Smith. After waiting weeks for a reply, a lackey finally replied to the effect that the Home Office had destroyed any files they may have held on J F Smith in line with its 'retention policy'. Further 'advice' was given to widen the search for information to the National Archives.

At first the National Archives staff were very helpful (always a bad sign) and assisted in our research but this ended within hours of the initial contact. The editor of News Alliance registered as a new user of the National Archives website but within 4 hours his registration details were not recognised and the account he had opened was closed without explanation. Not to be outdone, he opened a further account and placed an order for a digital copy of document HO 241/414.

Realising that time was of the essence, he also ordered ten appropriate pages of document HO 241/414 using the Documents Online system that offers a 24 hour turnaround. The order was completed in under 24 hours but the wrong documents were sent. The pages ordered were from the a Royal Commission report into misconduct in public office 1974-1976. But the documents sent by the National Archives were in fact extracts of the Jacobite Rebellion. We were prepared to dismiss this 'mistake' as good old fashioned incompetence until several other factors changed our opinion....

On 09 March 2008, the editor of News Alliance visited the National Archives in Surrey to view document HO 241/414. After undergoing the mandatory security checks, he was allowed into the reading room and presented with a file containing two A4 pages and these were in fact clippings from a Daily Mail news feature dated 21 April 1975. It should be noted that Royal Commission reports, particularly those which take two years to 'investigate' are usually 800-1500 pages in length. Another clear obstruction placed in our path by the National Archives. What happened to 'open source' public access to declassified documents?

And the blocking tactics reached new desperate lengths on 13 May 2008, when the National Archives advised the editor of News Alliance accordingly: -

Unfortunately, we have had to abandon your estimate E329591, because the requested document (HO 241/414) is currently in use with another National Archives department and unavailable for estimating.

Due to the need to securely move and track the locations of thousands of documents every week, out of millions contained within the repositories, it is impractical for us to estimate documents that are in use for other purposes. We do not know when this document will become available for estimating, but it is generally advisable to wait at least one month from receipt of this email before making another attempt to have it estimated.

Sincerely,

Kevin Keehan
Customer Service Assistant (Remote)

It is now perfectly clear that the National Archives is playing childish games designed to delay, obstruct and disrupt access to the relevant documents we wish to view and this can only be due to the clear interference of HMG. Indeed, document HO 241/414 was banned from publication until 01 January 2007, over thirty years since the report was completed. And little or nothing has changed since then in terms of corruption and misconduct in Public Office. In fact, under the corrupt New Labour regime, things have grown considerably worse in Soviet Britain.

In a final slap in the face, the editor of News Alliance asked for a refund on the gounds he was deliberately supplied with documents he did not order. The National Archives promised a refund and said it would take 3 days to process but in the event as we go to press 11 days later, no refund has been made....

The public-funded National Archives will bow to pressure from HMG on any politically motivated matter and block access to documents and this case proves it beyond doubt!

In protest, the editor of News Alliance has shredded his Reader Ticket and will return it to the National Archives in disgust to show that he will not tolerate being treated in this shoddy manner.

News Alliance has several researchers capable of visiting the National Archives and in due course we will send a researcher to the National Archives to view document HO 241/414. A full update to this article will then be published to ensure that the public know exactly is going on inside another white elephant they fund.

Peremptory blocking and delaying tactics will not stop us, they serve only to embolden our will to persist in defence of access to freedom of information!