HC Deb 09 May 1994 vol 243 cc18-9
38. Mr. Mike O'Brien

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress he has made in reducing secrecy in Government.

Mr. Waldegrave

The Government's new code of practice on access to Government information came into force at the beginning of April. I am confident that it will prove to be a significant advance.

Mr. O'Brien

Is not it the case that the code, which came into effect on 4 April, will not allow the public to become fully aware of the growth of scandals such as Pergau and Matrix Churchill? Until we have a Government who are prepared to be open with the electorate about the way in which they run their affairs, scandals such as Pergau and Matrix Churchill will continue and the Government cannot claim to be open or to seek an end to secrecy.

Mr. Waldegrave

As the hon. Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Garrett) asked the same question, word for word, a few minutes ago, I suspect that it was written out and handed to the hon. Gentleman. The truth is that the code's exemptions are just about exactly the same as those in freedom of information legislation around the world. If the hon. Gentleman is seriously interested, he will discover that the new code of practice policed by the ombudsman will be a major step forward.

Lady Olga Maitland

On behalf of amateur and professional historians, may I congratulate my right hon. Friend on persuading his colleagues to release confidential Government information? Does he agree that that is a step forward in open government?

Mr. Waldegrave

I was grateful for the thanks that were delivered to the Government the other day by the Institute for Contemporary History. We have made major steps forward: I commend to the House for example the Farm Hall transcripts and many other things that have been released in the past year, from which the institute might learn something.