§ 3.13 p.m.
§ LORD GARDINERMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, and if so when, they propose to publish the Report they have received of the categories of personal information held in Government computers and the rules governing its storage and use.
THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSS)My Lords, it is not the intention to publish the Report itself, but the substance of it will be contained in the White Paper which the Government intend to publish later this year.
§ LORD GARDINERMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. Since, according to what he said in the House on June 6, at col. 172, this is the Report which shows what are
the categories of personal information held in Government computers and the rules governing its storage and use,which we may or may not want to vary, what possible justification can there be for keeping this Report secret from Parliament and the people? Is this an example of open government, openly arrived at?
VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSSMy Lords, I think it is fairly common practice that the contents of an interdepartmental Report are published as a White Paper, which is what we have promised. I think the noble and learned Lord, and others who are interested in this subject, will find that the content of 2062 the White Paper is extremely full. I very much doubt whether he will find himself discontented with the range of information that is covered in the White Paper. It is a technicality whether the Report itself or its substance is published. I would hopefully suggest that the noble and learned Lord should wait until he sees the White Paper, and he will then have an opportunity to comment, or, indeed, if he wants, to criticise.
§ LORD AVEBURYMy Lords, is the noble Viscount aware that, while it has always been the practice, as he says, to publish an edited version of departmental Reports, such as this is, it always excites in the public mind the suspicion that something material has been left out, and although the noble Viscount has assured the House that the substance of the Working Party's Report will be in the White Paper, this suspicion will remain and people will be anxious, as they have been all the way through the discussions on privacy ever since the Younger Committee was set up, that something is happening in the public domain which the Government would not tolerate in the private sector?
VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSSI think, my Lords, that here there is a genuine difficulty. One has to tell the House, if one is opting for open government, that there is an inter-departmental committee working on a matter and that its Report will be produced for Ministers to see. If one does not say that then the House thinks that nothing is happening: if one does say that, there are demands for full publication. What I am suggesting is that the House should wait for the White Paper, which I think will be found to be quite full and comprehensive. Although I appreciate that this is a dilemma, I hope the House will judge the Government on the contents of the White Paper when it appears.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, might I ask the noble Lord whether he is serious in stating that the Government do believe in open government?