Sorry Geoff, not quite clear which old chestnut you are refering to here?
John wasn't talking about what (data) the records contain, just how long to keep them!
Understood, my point was that not all data should be kept, just a summary. This then is kept for, at a "conventional minimum" 7 years or, if we are talking about "full life cycle management" for the life of that piece of equipment. I thought that was clear but perhaps not.