§ Q4. Mr. Moonmanasked the Prime Minister if he will ask Departments to submit regular annual reports on their activities.
§ The Prime MinisterMany Departments already publish annual reports but I am not convinced that it would be appropriate or useful to make this a general requirement.
§ Mr. MoonmanAlthough the Ministry of Technology Report is a model presentation for a Government Department, will my right hon. Friend think again and see whether, in view of the Government restructure, there is not an even greater need to know exactly what the Government Departments are doing and whether they are setting management by objectives so that there can be a proper check and assessment?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that my hon. Friend will agree that, in addition to those Departments which publish annual reports, many other additional pieces of supplementary information are provided—for example, the information published by the Ministry of Technology to which my hon. Friend referred. We have now not only the traditional Supply Days for examining the records of Government Departments on an annual basis; we have more Select Committees to do this—and staffed for this purpose.
§ Mr. CrouchWill the Prime Minister take into account the growing concern among hon. Members at the infrequent appearance of Ministers in the House to answer for their Departments? May I particularly draw the right hon. Gentleman's attention to the fact that the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications will have had exactly one quarter of an hour to answer Questions in the House between last October and the coming Christmas?