I found this exchange on offshoring the database on my return from my Union conference, where there was considerable debate on this issue which affects many of my colleagues. Thankfully it was positive and constructive, concentrating on finding a balance of protecting UK workers, ensuring standards of security and integrity are protected and raising economic and employment levels in the receiving countries. I'm sure the Civil Service unions are engaged on the same sort of exercise regarding this particular off-shoring. Isn't this all getting a bit off-topic? Perhaps we should be discussing whether there is a constructive input that the Society can present concerned with ensuring the integrity and availability of the records we are interested in wherever they are stored and processed. Howard