HC Deb 10 April 1986 vol 95 cc336-7
9. Mr. Meadowcroft

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what form of words encompasses the confidentiality agreed for members of advisory committees on food standards.

Mrs. Fenner

When they are appointed, members of the Food Advisory Committee are informed that under the terms of the Official Secrets Act information given to them in their capacity as members of the committee should not be disclosed outside the committee.

Mr. Meadowcroft

In view of the Minister's reply, why did she write to her hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, South (Mr. Aitken) on 23 May stating categorically that the members of those two committees are required to sign the Official Secrets Act, although her right hon. Friend, who is sitting next to her, denied that in March of this year?

Mrs. Fenner

They are not required to sign the Official Secrets Act, but the answer that I have just given to the hon. Gentleman is conveyed to them. That is only in respect of commercial confidentiality, because full reports of the advice of that committee and of the committee on toxicity are published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

Mr. Aitken

Although I am sure that my hon. Friend is almost as surprised as I am that our previous billets doux on the subject of official secrecy have been revealed this afternoon by the Liberal party, will she nevertheless consider the absurdity of the Government's position? Surely it is unrealistic and unwise to invoke the criminal law when food advice should be the subject of maximum publicity, rather than the subject of maximum secrecy?

Mrs. Fenner

It is common practice for all Governments to respect commercial confidentiality and not to divulge information from one company that might be of direct benefit to its competitors. I assure my hon. Friend that the information is totally exposed when safety is involved. If he feels that it is not sufficiently accessible, I remind him that my right hon. Friend has already told the House that we are having discussions with the British Library to ensure that all such information is placed in that library, so that it might be more accessible to the public.

Mr. Randall

Is the Minister aware that a great deal of suspicion surrounds the operations of the Food Advisory Committee? I recognise the need for certain commercial confidentiality, but does she agree that the time has come for more openness by this public body?

Mrs. Fenner

I realise that the hon. Gentleman prepared his question before I gave my previous answer. I hope that I have reassured him by repeating what my right hon. Friend has said, namely, that we are discussing arrangements for placing that information in the British Library. At the moment we exhort all sources of such research to make it public, but it is very difficult to get the information into scientific journals, because sometimes it is rather pedestrian and pretty dull. Therefore, we are discussing whether it can possibly be placed in the British Library.

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