4 Response Accepted Self-assessed

Distributed Permanent Archive at Sheffield/Liverpool/Kew

Recommendation

We recommend that a Distributed Permanent Archive be established across the Central Library in Sheffield, the Liverpool Record Office and the National Archives, Kew, so that all original materials are preserved. Record office staff should liaise to rationalise the archiving of materials across the three sites, while providing ready public access.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
According to the available evidence, a Distributed Permanent Archive has been established, with original materials relating to Hillsborough now held across the Central Library in Sheffield, the Liverpool Record Office, and The National Archives at Kew. This arrangement aligns with the Panel's proposal for preserving the original material across these three sites.
How was this assessed?
Assessed by gemini-2.5-flash on 19 Mar 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk, hansard.parliament.uk
This recommendation requires implementation across many organisations. The assessment reflects central policy response, not adoption in individual organisations.
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Response
Accepted
Accepted The National Archives
01 Dec 2012

Implemented. A Distributed Permanent Archive was established as recommended. The Panel's report stated: "The Panel proposes a Distributed Permanent Archive of the original material at Sheffield Archives and Liverpool Record Office, with central government records held at The National Archives at Kew. Such a Distributed Archive is in keeping with the nature of the records and the services which the three archives can best provide." Original materials are now held across these three sites. (Source: Hillsborough Independent Panel Report 2012)

Source
Inquiry Hillsborough Panel
Report Hillsborough: The Report of the Hillsborough Independent Panel 12 Sep 2012
View Source
Responsible Bodies
The National Archives Primary
Themes & Tags
Weak Government Accountability & Scrutiny Records Archiving Public Access
Recommendation age 13.5 yrs
Last formal update 4861 days ago