20th century to the present day
1900
Royal Commission reports replaced by calendars published by the House of Lords. These presented researchers with historical resources of previously almost unknown material
1927
Clerk of the House of Commons transferred an extensive post-1834 series of Private Bill records to the Victoria Tower. These joined the House of Lords records already stored in the Tower so creating a single archive for both Houses of Parliament
1933
Extensive rebuilding of the exterior of the Victoria Tower began
1937
Clerk of the Parliaments, Sir Henry Badeley, initiated a survey of the entire Lords Archive
1939
Shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War four tin boxes of important manuscripts were evacuated to the Bodleian Library in Oxford in July
1940
Nine tons of documents transferred to a depository in Elstree for safekeeping in May
1941
Documents transferred to Laverstoke House in Hampshire for further safekeeping in several instalments
1946
House of Lords Record Office established; Clerk of Records at the House of Lords entrusted the care of the contents of the Victoria Tower
1948
Interior of Victoria Tower found to be defective in structure and equipment; extensive reconstruction began; air-conditioning and lifts installed and new floors added
1949
Publication of calendars by the House of Lords resumed
1950
Two repair shops set up to repair damaged manuscripts; series of Record Office Memoranda initiated
1957
Core records of the House of Commons deposited in the Victoria Tower
1963
Reconstructed Tower declared open by Viscount Hailsham, Leader of the House of Lords, on 3 July
1988-9
Exterior of Victoria Tower restored; large scaffolding erected
1996-2000
Records management survey undertaken; records management function formalised in Parliament.
1999
House of Lords Record Office took on the subsidiary title of the Parliamentary Archives
2000-4
Upgrade of environmental conditions and fire protection in the Victoria Tower to BS5454 standard
2000-8
Portcullis project undertaken to convert paper finding aids into a single online catalogue
2001
Freedom of Information Officer position created
2006
House of Lords Record Office officially renamed Parliamentary Archives
2008
Digital Preservation strategy launched