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Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2009

Status:

This is the original version (as it was originally made).

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2009 No. 69

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2009

Made

2nd March 2009

Coming into operation

13th April 2009

The Department of Culture Arts and Leisure(1), makes the following rules in exercise of the powers conferred by section 9 of the Public Records Act (Northern Ireland) 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) 2009 and shall come into operation on 13th April 2009.

Interpretation

2.  In these Rules:—

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

“designated officer” means a person appointed as such by the Deputy Keeper to act on his behalf;

“exhibition area” is an area in the premises of the Office where users may see exhibited material;

“issue desk” is an area of the Office where records are issued to a user, and where that user must return records to the Office;

“lecture theatre” is an area in the premises of the Office where staff may lecture groups of users;

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

“reading rooms” an area of the Office where users may inspect the records;

“reception area” an area of the Office where a user is required to sign his name in the book provided and to leave personal possessions;

“search room” an area of the Office where indexes, catalogues, calendars and such other finding aids as are provided for consultation are kept;

“user” in relation to the Office means a person other than a member of staff.

Payment of fees

3.  The fees, as numbered in the first column of the Schedule, 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 the Schedule.

4.  Payment of fees may be dispensed with in cases where the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer is satisfied that it is in the best interest of the Office to do so.

Rules governing admission

5.  Every user seeking admission to the search room or the reading rooms, shall, on the first occasion of seeking such admission in any year:—

(a)produce evidence of identity;

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

(c)sign a Reader’s Declaration Form giving an undertaking to read and adhere to these Rules; and

(d)receive a numbered reader’s ticket valid for the length of time specified therein.

6.  A user may be refused admittance to the Office unless he agrees in writing that he will produce for inspection his bag, papers and other personal possessions at any time.

7.  Every user visiting the lecture theatre or the exhibition area shall have his name and registration number placed in the attendance book provided and shall sign that book or have it signed on his behalf.

8.  Every user seeking admission to the search room or reading rooms on the first occasion shall be required to undertake appropriate induction.

9.  Every user seeking admission to the search room or the reading rooms shall produce for checking his reader’s ticket for inspection on request by a member of staff.

Use of Lockers

10.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) every user shall leave in the lockers provided such items as the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer may specify.

(2) Folders, files, envelopes, ring binders, pencil cases or notepad wallets may be brought into the search room.

(3) The contents of one folder or file only may be brought into the reading rooms.

Use of Equipment

11.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) recording equipment, laptop computers or any other electrically or battery-operated device may be used in any part of the Office open to the public.

(2) Such equipment shall not be used in the search room without the permission of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer.

(3) Such equipment shall not be used in the reading rooms without the permission of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer and may only be used in areas allocated for the purpose.

12.  A user shall not make any mark on, fold, lean upon, try to separate pages that are stuck together or add or amend any record or finding aid and shall make use of any support or any other protective device provided for that purpose.

13.  A user shall not use any writing material other than pencils in the reading rooms.

14.  A user shall not use any erasers, ink, typing correcting fluid, sharp object or any other item or material which in the opinion of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer would be likely to cause harm to the documents or prejudice their security.

15.  A user shall not make tracings of records without the prior permission of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer.

16.  A user shall access only internet sites approved by the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer and shall not download any software from the internet using computer facilities provided by the Office.

Behaviour

17.  A user shall not consume any food or drink in the Office except in an area designated for that purpose.

18.  A user inspecting records in the reading rooms shall avoid making unnecessary noise or engaging in behaviour likely to distract other persons there.

19.  A user may be excluded from the Office for any of the following reasons:—

(a)breach of these Rules;

(b)damage to any record, index, catalogue, calendar or other searching aid or other article in the Office; or

(c)conduct or language likely to be offensive to persons in the Office.

Issue of Records

20.  For records ordered manually the relevant dockets, one for each record or item required, shall be completed by or on behalf of any user wishing to inspect any record in the reading room and those dockets must be submitted to the issue desk. Where those documents are ordered on a computer the requisitioning details must be completed in full on that computer.

21.  A user shall not have more than five records issued to him at a time except by permission of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer.

22.  Records which in the opinion of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer are in a fragile state will not be issued to the public or copied.

23.  The Deputy Keeper or a designated officer may issue specific directions as to the handling or copying of records for the purpose of ensuring their preservation.

24.  Records which are not yet described in the indexes, catalogues, calendars or such other finding aids as may be provided for public use shall only be produced at the discretion of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer.

Return of Records

25.  A user inspecting records shall sign on receipt of those records and if he leaves the reading room he shall return the records to the issue desk or a member of staff in the reading room. Records shall not be passed on to any other user, or removed from the reading rooms except by a member of staff.

26.  Any user in a reading room who leaves his table for a period of one hour or more or his microfilm reader/carrel for twenty minutes or more may have all his personal property removed and his seat may be reallocated.

27.  On completion of a search or inspection of the records a user shall:—

(a)return such records to the issue desk;

(b)sign an undertaking that all documents issued to him have been returned to the issue desk; and

(c)notify the reception area that he is leaving the Office.

28.  A user consulting the indexes, catalogues, calendars or other finding aids shall, after use, replace them on the shelves or other places where they are normally located.

Revocation

29.  The Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996(4) are revoked.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure on 2nd March 2009.

L.S.

A. McClintock (Mrs)

A senior officer of the

Department of Culture Arts and Leisure

SCHEDULEScale of fees payable for the search or copying of certain public records and for the handling and certification of such copies.

Column 1Column 2Column 3Column 4
No. of FeeItemAmount of FeePrevious Fee
Note: Previous fees are shown in brackets (where appropriate).
Search Fee
1For any piece of research by staff for each 15 minutes for each enquiry.£15.50(£13.30 per hour)
Officer’s time
2For an officer of the Public Record Office to provide a service away from the office in addition to the actual travelling expenses properly incurred for each hour or part thereof.£62 per hour
Reprographic Fees
Paper copies of original documents per sheet
3A4 sheet black and white£0.40(£0.30)
4A3 sheet black and white£0.40(£0.40)
5A4 sheet colour£0.40
6A3 sheet colour£0.40
Paper copies of existing microfilm (black and white)
7A3 sheet£1.00(£0.95)
8A3 sheet (Self Service)£0.30
Paper copies of scanned documents per sheet (black and white)
9A4 sheet£2.25
10A3 sheet£2.25
11A2 sheet£7.00
12A1 sheet£12.10
13A0 sheet£14.10
Paper copies of scanned documents per sheet (coloured)
14A4 sheet£3.10
15A3 sheet£3.60
16A2 sheet£7.00
17A1 sheet£12.10
18A0 sheet£14.10
Scanned images provided electronically (charge per image email delivery).
19Scanned through an automated process.£5.15
20Scanned manually using specialised digital camera.£10.30
21For delivery by CD or DVD Charge for each disk required.£1.00
Miscellaneous Reprographics
22For reprographic work requiring special attention, bulk and outsized orders or items not covered above requiring more than 15 minutes, a handling fee will be charged (in addition to any other reprographic fee listed above) at the hourly rate or part thereof.£26.00(£11.10)
Certification Fee
23Charge for 1–20 pages.£7.00(£0.55 per page)
24Charges for 21–50 pages.£20.00
25For each extra page.£1.00
Postage and Packaging
26Postage and packaging to be charged at cost with a minimum charge specified.£3.00
Online Access to Records
Wills/Other Online Databases
27Viewing scanned images of documents (per view).£0.60
28Viewing scanned images of documents (monthly password).£10.00
Photographs and Images
29Electronic copy of an image scanned through an automated process.£5.15
30Electronic copy of an image scanned manually using specialised digital camera.£10.30
Internet Access
31Restricted access to approved sites.Free
32Wider access provided within Reading and Search rooms (per hour).£2.00
33Wi-fi access provided within Reading and Search rooms (per day).£2.00
Use of Personal Digital Camera
34To cover costs of invigilation plus administration costs (per hour).£10.30
Retrieval of documents in bulk
Retrieval from outstorage for Public Sector Bodies up to 10 boxes.
354 hour turnaround£52.50
3648 hour turnaround£15.00
‘Friends of PRONI’ paid membership scheme
37For an annual fee members will receive updates and invitations to special seminars and talks.£20.00
Costs incurred for sub-contracted services
38For services provided by a 3rd party on behalf of a PRONI customer.To be quoted at full 3rd party costs plus staff time for the appropriate grade (+VAT)
Use of Records by TV & Film companies
39Charge per hour for use of documents.£10.00(£27.60 per ½ day)
The Commercial use of PRONI Archives
40Permission to use PRONI archival material in publications or commercial products. Price to be negotiated and linked to the number of copies produced.0.021 pence per square cm × number of reprints (+VAT)
41Minimum charge specified.£50.00
Venue Hire
Charge for hire of rooms to other organisations. Charge at a two hourly rate related to room capacity.
42Small meeting room (8 persons).£30.00
43Board Room (16 persons).£50.00
44Conference room (50 persons).£75.00
Replacement User Registration Pass
45To replace a photographic reader pass.£2.50

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Rules.)

These Rules revoke and replace the Public Use of the Records (Management and Fees) Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996.

These Rules contain the following principal provisions:—

  • the payment of fees for the use of records, some of which are increased (Rule 3);

  • that fees may be dispensed with in cases where the Deputy Keeper is satisfied that it is in the best interest of the Public Record Office to do so (Rule 4);

  • the formalities to be completed by users before they are allowed to use the Northern Ireland records, including the requirement to produce evidence of identity before registering (Rule 5);

  • the conditions for admission to the lecture theatre, search room or reading rooms (Rules 5 to 9);

  • restrictions on various articles which may be taken into certain areas of the Public Record Office and used in those parts, as well as placing restrictions on the use of any electric or electronic equipment (Rule 10);

  • restrictions on the use of equipment, the tracings of records and use of internet sites (Rules 11 to 16);

  • restrict the consumption of food and drink and provide the circumstances under which users may be excluded from the Public Record Office (Rules 17 to 19);

  • restrict the number of records which can be issued/ordered at any one time (Rules 20 to 21);

  • provide that certain records will be produced at the discretion of the Deputy Keeper or a designated officer (Rules 22 to 24);

  • users are responsible for the records which they are inspecting (Rules 25 to 28);

  • provide that where users leave the reading rooms for a period of more than one hour they must remove all their personal property (Rules 25 to 28).

(1)

Established by the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1)), Article 3(1)

(3)

See S.R. 1999 No 481 Article 3 and Schedule 1

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