§ 2. Dr. Tony Wright (Cannock Chase)When he expects to publish the White Paper on the modernisation of government. [68644]
§ 6. Mr. Christopher Chope (Christchurch)If he will report on progress in preparing the better government White Paper. [68649]
§ The Minister for the Cabinet Office (Dr. Jack Cunningham)We will publish a White Paper in the spring, setting out our proposals for more strategic policy making and simpler, more effective and responsive public services.
§ Dr. WrightI am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that answer. Modernisation is the hallmark of this Government, and must apply to all government. That means that people should have access to public services that they find easy to use, that operate efficiently and 304 which put things right quickly when they go wrong. Will he assure the House that the forthcoming White Paper will deliver that?
§ Dr. CunninghamYes, I can. My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The three aims that he has mentioned will be the objectives of our White Paper.
§ Mr. ChopeIs not the better government White Paper just another of this Government's public relations stunts? Are not public services declining? If that is not true, why have the Government just published a 60-page document entitled, "Public Relations Toolkit for Employers", which invites small businesses to give third-party endorsement to failed Government policies? How much did that document cost? When will the Government follow the advice given on page 17—it will interest you, Madam Speaker—to "Answer the question succinctly", and "don't be evasive"?
§ Dr. CunninghamAfter such a long, rambling and incoherent question, the hon. Gentleman is the last one to talk about stunts. He knows all about them. I have no doubt that all the users of the national health service, in which we intend to invest £21 billion extra, and all the users of the education service, in which we will invest £19 billion extra, will note his disparaging remarks about public services.
§ Ms Margaret Moran (Luton, South)On the publication of the White Paper on modernisation of government, will my right hon. Friend ensure that we encourage service users to take the opportunities offered by new technology to provide regular feedback, so that we can measure the improving quality of public services? Such improvement is a clear objective of the Government, and one on which the previous Administration were a dire failure.
§ Dr. CunninghamI pay tribute to my hon. Friend's pioneering work in that connection when she was leader of Lewisham borough council. We shall set ourselves a target of delivering 25 per cent. of Government services through information technology by 2002. We want those services to be available not only easily but, where possible, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
§ Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire)I notice that, by grouping the questions, the right hon. Gentleman is equating modern with better, but is it either modern or better for a Government to treat a Select Committee of the House as disdainfully as the Government have in the past 24 hours? What place do parliamentary democracy and the work of our Select Committees have in the right hon. Gentleman's ideal of modern government?
§ Dr. CunninghamI have always, personally, had a very high regard for the Select Committees of the House. I was a member of a Select Committee of the House for six years, and in roughly one year as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food I agreed to appear before the Select Committee on Agriculture four times. My appearance on the fourth occasion was obviated by my appointment to my present responsibilities.
We should pay very high regard to the work of Select Committees of the House and their reports, but that does not mean that we should conclude that Governments are always bound to agree with them.