§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his evaluation of the likely time taken to provide information to inquirers who apply under his new code of practice on Government information in cases which are referred to the ombudsman for evaluation.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThis will vary from case to case, but the ombudsman has said that he hopes to be able to complete investigations of this nature in a matter of weeks.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will set out the reasons for the exclusion of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee from the list of bodies covered by his code of practice on access to governmental information.
§ Mr. WaldegraveParagraph 6 of the code states that it applies to those Government Departments and other bodies within the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, the ombudsman. The radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee is not within the ombudsman's jurisdiction and is not therefore covered by the code.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Howarth) of 29 March,Official Report, columns 608-9, how many inquiries have been received at the telephone point mentioned to obtain copies of his code of practice on open government; and what responses to his consultation on the draft code of practice led to the change made to paragraph 15 on statutory and other restrictions.
§ Mr. WaldegraveSome 242 such inquiries had been received up to and including 15 April. The responses from the Campaign for Freedom of Information, published in its "Secrets" newspaper, the Consumers Association, the Guild of British Newspaper Editors and the Data Protection Registrar raised general issues about exemption (xv) of the draft code of practice which were taken into account in making the change described in my answer of 12 April,Official Report, column 26.