HL Deb 14 July 1975 vol 362 cc1002-3

2.49 p.m.

Lord GARDINER

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the promised White Paper on Computers and Privacy will be published before the Recess.

The MINISTER of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Harris of Greenwich)

My Lords, I am afraid that it will not be possible to publish the White Paper before the Recess, but good progress has been made with its preparation and the Government hope it will appear quite soon.

Lord GARDINER

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Without referring again to Christmas, may I ask him whether I am right in thinking that there is nothing to stop a White Paper being published during the Recess? If so, will he undertake that just as soon as the White Paper is ready it will be published, and good use made of the rest of the vacation to draft the new legislation?

Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH

My Lords, while not commenting on the latter point made by my noble and learned friend, who has had to undergo many disappointments during the period in which he has been pressing the Government to act in this matter, it is perfectly right that there nothing to debar the Government from publishing the White Paper during the Recess. As I indicated in my initial reply, we hope that we shall be able to do that. I use the most cautious language, just in case anything were to go wrong and my noble and learned friend were then to use my words against me in a Question just after the House comes back.

Lord GARDINER

My Lords, will my noble friend undertake that, if the White Paper is ready to be published, there are no circumstances which will prevent the Government from publishing it?

Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH

My Lords, my noble and learned friend has greater experience than I of the arrangements made before the publication of a White Paper. But, as I indicated in my reply, we shall not be in a position to publish this before the Recess but we hope to be able to do it during the Recess.