HC Deb 20 June 1979 vol 968 cc1315-7
61. Mr. Christopher Price

asked the Minister for the Civil Service what proposals he now intends to bring forward to give the public the right of access to official information.

62. Mr. Rooker

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on his policy for open government.

Mr. Channon

The Government are committed to legislation to reform section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911. In addition, it will be the practice of this Government to make as much information as possible available, including background papers and analytical studies, relevant to major policy decisions. Moreover, the House will shortly be debating the recommendations of the Procedure Committee, which will enable the House to maintain and improve the scrutiny of the work of Government Departments. The Government share the view of their predecessors that legislation to provide a public right of access would not be appropriate. A code of practice would be open to many of the same objections.

Mr. Price

I thank the Minister for that comprehensive reply. Is he aware that an all-party consensus developed in the last Session about the Official Information Bill, which supported not only the reform of the Official Secrets Act but a statutory right of access for the public? Does the Minister accept that it does not make sense to reform the Act without providing a right for the public to be given non-sensitive information? Is the Minister at least monitoring the flow of information? What are the arrangements for monitoring which were begun by the last Government?

Mr. Channon

I understand the hon. Member's feelings. We are determined to make as much information as possible available. I am sure that the House will insist upon that. We are engaged in a number of major initiatives, such as the reform of the Official Secrets Act and consideration of the recommendations of the Procedure Committee, which I have already mentioned. It is meaningless to publish lists of information when it is no longer possible to tell whether they would be published in the normal course of events or are published because of previous initiatives.

Mr. Rooker

Is the Minister's philosophy on this subject such that he believes that more than three people in each constituency are genuinely interested in open government? Will he institute a review of the 110 subjects on which hop. Members are not allowed to table questions?

Mr. Channon

I should be surprised if that were a matter for me. If it is, I shall examine it. There is considerable interest in the question of open government. I hope that what I have said today will show that we are doing more in this sphere than has been done before.

Mr. Forman

When taking the desirable preliminary steps towards more open Government, will my hon. Friend consider issuing guidelines to Whitehall Departments for the purpose of declassifying documents, as classifying them is one of the greatest barriers to full information being made available to Parliament and people elsewhere?

Mr. Channon

That is an important matter. I shall consider the suggestion and write to my hon. Friend.

Mr. Kaufman

The Minister says that he is determined to make as much information as possible available. Will he arrange for the immediate publication of the Treasury forecast on unemployment?

Mr. Channon

My responsibilities do not extend to forecasts from the Treasury or any other Department.