closure of the former Government records site in St. George's.

Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott yesterday, at the opening of the new site at the former Co-Op supermarket on Union Street in Pembroke, explained what had led to the switch.

He said: "We were given very short notice. We were told in August that we had to leave by the end of this month. The owner wanted to sell the building.'' Government is renting the site from the BIU, but Mr. Scott explained the move would be temporary as Government was keen to continue its policy of owning sites rather than leasing them.

He said: "We made an offer to buy the building from the union, but they didn't want to sell so we went with the previous policy.

"But it's very much in our minds that we want to purchase a building for storage at the earliest possible opportunity -- it will be one or two years away, maybe longer. We pay a very reasonable rent to the union.'' BIU building manager Collin Simmons said the union would not be prepared to sell.

He said: "We don't sell buildings like this -- unless the Government wants to make an offer we can't refuse.'' The Minister said more Government records would be stored electronically over the years to allow ease of retrieval. Staff would be able to access information from their computers.

But he added: "(Paper) archives will always be with us. They will expand rather than contract,'' he said.

At yesterday's opening, Development, Opportunity and Government Services Minister Terry Lister said his department was pleased with the new site.

He said: "We spent a lot of time searching for it. Works and Engineering came up with this. It's close -- we no longer have to have staff driving all the way to St. George's -- this is just round the corner.'' The Minister said some records had been kept at individual departments rather than in St. George's, meaning offices had become deluged with paper.

The new facility will free up valuable time and space in Government offices as the records will be gathered together in an organised, accessible site He said: "When staff are behind their desks they won't be looking at boxes.'' But the new site will not be open to the public.

Archivist designate Karla Hayward: "The records are still the property of the Government departments. They are kept for legal, financial and administrative reasons. They aren't needed day to day.

"Historical records are only a very small proportion of what we have here -- perhaps only about five percent will become historical records.'' If the records have historical value, they will be dusted and then eventually passed on to the Government archive in Parliament Street.

Archive consultant Sylvie Gervais said the three-man staff might find a new use for the supermarket freezer which was still on the site.

"If there is a flood at one of the other archives, then we can freeze them and unfreeze them and clean them when we are ready,'' she said.

Records opening: Chief Justice Austin Ward cuts the ribbon of the new Government Records Office -- located at the old Co-Op Supermarket on Union Street -- as, from left, Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister, Acting Permanent Secretary Colin Blades, Government Archivist designate Karla Hayward and Archives consultant Sylvie Gervais look on.

GOVERNMENT GVT