§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will arrange for responses received to consultative documents issued by his Department in future to be made publicly available by placing them in his Department's library, except where the respondent has specifically asked that this be not done; and if he will arrange for this procedure to made clear when future consultative documents are issued.
§ Mr. MacGregorMy Department engages in a very wide range of consultation exercises in the course of its ongoing business. I do not believe that a procedure on the lines suggested by the hon. Member would represent a cost-effective use of the resources likely to be involved.
My Department will, however, respond to individual requests by providing a list of the organisations which have submitted views on consultation documents so that interested individuals can make direct approaches to individual organisations for copies of their responses.