Obituary: Lord Ridley of Liddesdale

OBITUARISTS so far have omitted to notice one of the enduring achievements of Nicholas Ridley, writes Dr Alice Prochaska (further to the obituaries by Patrick Cosgrave and Tam Dalyell, 6 March). In 1962, as a young backbencher, he introduced as a Private Member's Bill and successfully steered through Parliament the Local Government (Records) Act, which placed beyond doubt the power of local authorities to rescue, preserve and make available the local archives of England and Wales. This Act gave statutory foundation to the county and city record offices already established and was a cornerstone of their development over the next 30 years.