§ 9. Mr. Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock)If he will make a statement on progress in increasing the amount of Government information available to the public by electronic means. [83648]
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr. Peter Kilfoyle)The "Modernising Government" White Paper restates the 25 per cent. target for electronic service delivery set by the Prime Minister for 2002. We have also set a new target of 50 per cent. by 2005 and, subject to limited exceptions, 100 per cent. by 2008. We will publish six-monthly progress reports against these targets, and the first report will be published shortly.
§ Mr. MackinlayIn the interests of candour and in a spirit of openness, will the Cabinet Secretary arrange to put on the internet on each working day details of the hopes and aspirations of the Government for that day, together with their likes and dislikes, instead of imparting that information to the clandestine Lobby briefing from which we, as elected Members, are excluded? As part of that exercise, will he issue a communiqué on each day that the Cabinet meets, setting out the information that would otherwise be imparted to that Lobby briefing, or the sultans of spin—namely, what has been discussed and the duration of each Cabinet meeting?
§ Mr. KilfoyleI cannot speak for the Cabinet Secretary, but, as the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, I shall relay my hon. Friend's wishes to the Cabinet Secretary. I shall certainly relay my hon. Friend's remarks to the Prime Minister's official spokesman who, in the estimation of virtually all Labour Members, does an estimable job in keeping the Lobby informed on a day-to-day basis of the hopes and aspirations of the Prime Minister and the rest of the Government.
§ Dr. Julian Lewis (New Forest, East)Does the Minister agree that one of the most deplorable releases of Government information by electronic means was the posting on the internet of more than 100 names of alleged officers of the Secret Intelligence Service? Although those names were posted by the convicted US fraudster and fantasist Lyndon LaRouche, does the Minister know whether any links have been reported between LaRouche, Richard Tomlinson—the former SIS officer—the publicist Max Clifford and the egregious Mohammed Fayed? If any of them is within the jurisdiction of this country's courts, will the Minister take action?
§ Mr. KilfoyleNo, I have no such knowledge, but I am not a conspiracy theorist. No one could expect me to comment on allegations that have been made on the internet—a notoriously difficult medium to control in any shape or form.