This will be a step forward, but what a pity that it is FindMyPast that is doing this rather than Ancestry. A major issue with FindMyPast is that for many of its databases (I cannot say all because I have not used all of them) there is no 'browse' facility - that is, having looked at one page you cannot browse the pages either side or, should you wish to, browse the entire dataset. In contrast, on Ancestry you can browse the entire dataset. To give an example, FindMyPast released merchant seamen's records in 2012. The dataset is not browsable. The search fields are first name, surname, county of birth, place of birth, year of birth and discharge number. For the period in which I am interested, the discharge number is not relevant, and it would be desirable to search on register ticket number, but this number has not been transcribed and the search field does not exist. In practice searches are conducted on name, but this relies on the name being accurately transcribed. Otherwise, the searcher is reduced to guessing what the transcription may be - and believe me I have found some that were previously unknown to me. But some records of known seamen still elude me because I cannot browse the dataset. I am quite certain that the usefulness of the proposed digitised India Office records will be an order of magnitude greater if a browse facility is incorporated, and I would suggest FIBIS might like to liaise with FMP on this matter. For the record, I have a subscription to both the pay-to-view sites mentioned in this post. Noel