Scott Inquiry (Hansard, 13 February 1996)

§ Mr. Llew Smith
To ask the Prime Minister what was the final date on which(a) a Minister and (b) a civil servant delivered information to Lord Justice Scott for his inquiry. [14833]

§ The Prime Minister
The Government have been in correspondence with Sir Richard Scott's team throughout the period of the inquiry. The Cabinet Office was last asked to provide documents and information to the inquiry on 22 January.

§ Mr. Smith
To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements have been made for civil servants whose actions are discussed by Lord justice Scott to receive copies of his report before its official publications on 15 February. [14840]

§ The Prime Minister
The Government are in discussion with the inquiry about this.

§ Mr. Smith
To ask the Prime Minister how many pages of evidence were provided by his office to the Scott inquiry. [14836]

§ The Prime Minister
My office and the Cabinet Office have provided 6,197 pages of evidence to the Scott inquiry. This figure does not include correspondence between my office or the Cabinet Office and the inquiry or evidence supplied to the inquiry by individual witnesses.

§ Mr. Robin Cook
To ask the Prime Minister if he(a) has discussed and (b) has authorised his Ministers to discuss media presentation of the Scott inquiry report with (i) newspaper proprietors, (ii) newspaper editors and (iii) governors of the BBC. [13993]

§ The Prime Minister
[holding answer 6 February 1996]: The arrangements agreed by the Government with Sir Richard Scott do not permit anyone outside Government to have access to the report before publication, nor to have the contents of the report disclosed to them. I have made it clear that those 507W arrangements must be adhered to. The only exception at present agreed is that the spokesmen of the leading Opposition parties should have access to the report some hours before publication in accordance with the precedents for weighty reports of this nature. The preparation of the Government's response to the report has been and will be conducted in accordance with those arrangements. Any changes would be made only after consultation with Sir Richard Scott.