The Act of Parliament you’re looking for is the Public Records Act.

Quick Scoop

Government departments in the UK are required to manage their records effectively and consistently throughout their life under the Public Records Act 1958 (as amended) , often referred to simply as the Public Records Act.

This Act underpins how public records are created, maintained, selected for permanent preservation, and eventually transferred to The National Archives or other approved places of deposit.

Why this Act matters

  • It sets the legal framework for how central government bodies must keep, protect, and dispose of their records.
  • It requires departments to select records of long‑term historical or legal value and transfer them to The National Archives (or another approved archive) after a set period, unless there is a justified reason to retain them longer.

Linked duties and modern context

  • Departmental Records Officers in each department are responsible for ensuring records are managed in line with the Public Records Act and related laws such as the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection Act.
  • Current records management policies across government explicitly state that information must be managed for its whole lifecycle in line with the Public Records Act, including digital records, emails, and messaging.

TL;DR:
The Act of Parliament that requires government departments to manage records effectively and consistently throughout their life is the Public Records Act (1958, as amended).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.