Post of UK Chief Executioner

Dear Barnacle Bill

Thank you for contacting The National Archives about capital punishment in the UK and war crimes.

There may be records at the National Archives of interest to you. However, we do not have the resources to undertake general historical research. Under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, we do not have to deal with requests for information if the work involved would cost more than a set limit. The current limit is +AKM-600, which represents about three-and-a-half days+IBk work. Unfortunately, answering your request would take more than this amount of work.

You may need to try the vast information resources available through your local library, where a librarian may well be able to suggest relevant published sources. There is also an excellent website at www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/contents.html that will provide most of the information you are seeking. For information concerning records held by The National Archives relating to War Crimes, please visit our website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/rd....

Alternatively, you or someone acting on your behalf, are welcome to visit us to do the research yourself. Our staff will give you advice free of charge. For visiting details, please go to www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/visit. The only payment would be if you then wanted to buy copies from our Record Copying Department. You can take photographs of documents using your own digital camera, under certain rules. For details of both options go to www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordcopying/.

Or, you can hire an independent researcher to carry out specific or wider-ranging research for you, both at The National Archives and in other relevant archives. For details, and for a list of independent researchers who conduct research at The National Archives, look at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/irlist/. The fee that you will pay for this service is a matter for yourself and the researcher.

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our response to your request for information please contact The Quality Manager, Public Services Development Unit, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey, TW9 4DU.

Yours sincerely

John Crawford
Remote Services

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