Our role

We are a non-ministerial department, and the official archive and publisher for the UK Government, and for England and Wales. We are the guardians of over 1,000 years of iconic national documents.

We are expert advisers in information and records management and are a cultural, academic and heritage institution. We fulfil a leadership role for the archive sector and work to secure the future of physical and digital records.

What we do

We collect and secure the future of the government record, from Shakespeare’s will to tweets from Downing Street, to preserve it for generations to come.

Executive team

The Executive team ensures we achieve our vision and business plan, and work together to look at all the key issues involved with running the organisation.

Plans, policies, performance and projects

You can learn even more about us via our strategic plans and vision, annual reports, strategic policies and guidance, on the following pages.

Transparency

We strive to be an open and transparent organisation.

The National Archives’ Board

The National Archives’ Board advises the Chief Executive and Keeper on the plans and strategic direction of The National Archives, providing regular reviews of performance and key risks.

Boards and advisory groups

A number of boards and groups meet to make decisions or give advice on aspects of our work.

Collection care

The Collection Care department is responsible for the long-term preservation of our collection.

Advisory Council

Advisory Council advises the Secretary of State on issues relating to access to public records and represents the public interest in deciding what records should be open or closed.