Written answer
National Archives
National Archives microsites were taken offline over obsolete security risks; no breach occurred, content is being rebuilt, and costs fall within broader digital investment.
634. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the reason microsites for the National Archives are currently down; and whether security risks were identified. [64310/26]
Comment on this
635. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the cost of moving microsites belonging to the National Archive. [64309/26]
Comment on this
I propose to take Questions Nos. 634 and 635 together.
The National Archives previously maintained a number of standalone microsites hosting legacy genealogy and archival resources. These microsites were built on technical platforms that had reached end of life and could no longer be supported or secured to modern standards.
The microsites were taken offline following a technical review which identified that their legacy architecture posed increasing operational and security risks. No breach occurred, but continued public access could not be supported safely. All underlying records remain fully preserved and accessible in the National Archives’ Reading Room.
As part of the National Archives’ digital redevelopment programme, the content from these microsites is being transferred from obsolete formats and rebuilt as relational databases on the main National Archives website.
The redevelopment work is ongoing, and online access to the collections will be restored once the new systems have been completed and tested.
This work is primarily internal and involves significant data restructuring, standardisation, and quality assurance. For that reason, the cost cannot be quantified as a simple cost of moving the microsites; it forms part of the National Archives' broader multi year digital investment programme.