§ 1. Mr. Tom Clarke (Coatbridge and Chryston)What progress has been made in providing Her Majesty's Government's publications in readable form for people with sight impairment and other disabilities. [83639]
§ The Minister for the Cabinet Office (Dr. Jack Cunningham)Arrangements have now been put in place to enable people with visual impairment to obtain key Government publications in suitable alternative formats, including braille, large print and audio formats.
§ Mr. ClarkeIs my right hon. Friend aware that organisations which deal with people with sensory impairments are keen to encourage the Government to provide first-class information from Departments? Those organisations have praised the Department of Trade and Industry, but have expressed some disappointment that the recent White Paper "Modernising Social Services" was not available to them. Will my right hon. Friend encourage all Departments to walk that further mile to make information available, especially in braille and on tape, to that important group of people?
§ Dr. CunninghamYes, I will do that. The recent White Paper "The Future Management of Crown Copyright" stated that, in future, when Departments contract for the publication of their work, they will be encouraged to make provision for the publisher to supply data in electronic form and in a form suitable for translation into other forms. The "Modernising Government" White Paper is certainly so available. As my right hon. Friend will know, the Royal National Institute for the Blind has a copyright licence, issued free of charge, to reproduce all Crown and parliamentary texts in braille, audiotape and braille-coded floppy disk formats.