§ 2.48 p.m.
§ Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ Whether they are still unable to reply to Peers' Written Questions by e-mail.
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyMy Lords, considerable progress is being made towards implementing a system for delivering electronic Answers to parliamentary Questions. Many issues have needed to be considered, including security. We are getting close to resolving those and hope to be in a position to make an announcement fairly shortly. It will be our intention to consult noble Lords on any proposals.
Lord LucasMy Lords, I am delighted to hear that Answer, which is a great deal better than I expected, having asked a similar Question in written form over many months. It is astonishing that it has taken 13 months for a government who claim to be cool, with it and wired to produce such a complicated Answer to a simple Question. Can the noble Lord assure me that when this announcement is made after such a long gestation we will receive a live-born infant and not just wind?
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyMy Lords, perhaps I may turn away wrath with a soft answer by expressing 1445 my gratitude to the noble Lord for pursuing this matter over a number of months, even though he now seems to be getting a little impatient. I can assure him that the announcement, when it comes, will address the issues, which are not simple, involved in providing Answers to Written Questions by electronic mail. For example, it is important that any Answers which are sent to noble Lords should have their provenance well established. In other words, it should be as clear that they come from the Minister as a signed Written Answer. It is also important that they should arrive on time and not be delayed by, for example, a server going down.
§ Lady Saltoun of AbernethyMy Lords, in view of the fact that all Written Answers appear in Hansard, what is the secrecy problem?
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyMy Lords, I did not say there was a secrecy problem; I said there was a security problem, which is not quite the same thing. It is important that an Answer should go first to the noble Lord who has asked the Question before it goes anywhere else.
§ Lord AveburyMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the Minute Room already welcomes Questions for Written Answer by e-mail? If the Member wants the Answers in electronic form, he or she can get them from the PDVN the day after they are published. Is the Minister prepared to say that Ministers will answer correspondence by e-mail; and, if so, where can Members find the e-mail addresses of Ministers?
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyMy Lords, in answer to the noble Lord's first question, Questions are available electronically after they have been replied to and received by the noble Lord asking the Question. There is no issue of secrecy or security on that. As to the question of correspondence, I think that will naturally follow from the solution to the problems I have described. When that time comes, there will be no difficulty in providing noble Lords with e-mail addresses.
§ Lord Ewing of KirkfordMy Lords, does my noble friend accept that it is not exactly the brightest spark on the Opposition Front Bench who has asked the Question today? In relation to Answers by electronic mail, as I look round your Lordships' House, is there not a strong argument for slowing life down rather than speeding it up?
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyMy Lords, I do not agree with my noble friend on either of the points that he makes. I do not think unnecessary delay in administrative procedures is to anyone's benefit.
§ The Countess of MarMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that I have some Questions outstanding with the MoD since the beginning of May? I have had a stalling letter, but I still regard six weeks as being a little too 1446 long to receive an Answer. Can he say whether putting the Answers on e-mail will expedite the actions of the MoD?
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyNo, my Lords—
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyMy Lords, I have to be honest about these things. The provision of Answers by e-mail, which is the subject of the Question, does not bring with it, alas, any greater speed in decision-making in government departments. Any complaints which the noble Countess has should be addressed to the department concerned, although I will certainly pass them on.
§ Lord Randall of St. BudeauxMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that in Britain now a number of companies are paperless? I had the opportunity of visiting Andersen Consulting in Paris a few months ago. It has no paper at all. What consideration have the Government given to having a paperless Parliament; or if not that, how about having a less paper-using Parliament?
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyMy Lords, we are a long way from a paperless society. The Government have well advanced plans, which will be announced fairly shortly, for an improvement in electronic communications between government and citizens and of course parliamentarians as well. But anyone who thinks that that will result in a paperless society has another think coming.