Public Bodies (Hansard, 10 February 1999)

Dr. Tony Wright
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; and which are subject to investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner. [69906]

§ Mr. Meale
All the executive NDPBs sponsored by DETR have a statutory base except the British Board of Agrement and the National Forest Company.
All the bodies are subject to investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, with the following exceptions: The Audit Commission, the British Board of Agrement (BBA), the five Housing Action Trusts (HATs), the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA), the London Regional Passengers' Committee, the National Forest Company (NFC).
The NFC will be brought within the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration by means of an Order in Council due to go before the Privy Council later this month.
The HATs and LPFA are subject to investigation by the Commissioner for Local Administrations (CLA)—the Local Government Ombudsman. The Environment Agency also comes within the remit of the CLA for matters concerning flood defence and land drainage.

Dr. Tony Wright
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department(a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings, (b) hold public meetings and (c) have lay or consumer representatives on their boards; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69961]

§ Mr. Meale
(a) None of the advisory non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings.
(b) The following advisory non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department hold public meetings: Advisory Committee on Packaging, Disabled Passengers' Transport Advisory Committee, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, UK Round Table on Sustainable Development.
(c)The following advisory non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department have lay or consumer representatives on their boards:
Committee on Chemicals and Materials for Use in Public Water Supplies and Swimming Pools, Disabled Passengers' Transport Advisory Committee, Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. Sustainable Development Education Panel, UK Round Table on Sustainable Development.
None of these matters is subject to a statutory requirement.
242W

Dr. Tony Wright
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish(a) the minutes of meetings, (b) the agendas of meetings and documents for those meetings and (c) a register of members' interests; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69835]

§ Mr. Meale
(a) The following advisory non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department publish the minutes of their meetings on the internet or make them available in paper form or do both: Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, Committee on Chemicals and Materials for Use in Public Water Supplies and Swimming Pools, Export Action Group for Building Materials, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, Sustainable Development Education Panel, UK Round Table on Sustainable Development.
(b) The following advisory non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department publish the agendas of meetings and documents for their meetings: Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment Export Action Group for Building Materials, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, Sustainable Development Education Panel, UK Round Table on Sustainable Development.
(c)The following advisory non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department publish a register of members' interests or have it available on request: Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances, Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, Advisory Committee on Packaging, Building Regulations Advisory Committee, Committee on Chemicals and Materials for Use in Public Water Supplies and Swimming Pools, Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards, Government Panel on Sustainable Development, Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council, Property Advisory Group, Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, Sustainable Development Education Panel, UK Round Table on Sustainable Development, Water Regulations Advisory Committee. All advisory NDPBs have or should shortly have a register of interests in place.
None of these items is published under a statutory requirement.

Dr. Tony Wright
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish(a) the minutes of meetings, (b) the agendas of meetings and documents for those meetings and (c) a register of members' interests; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69949]

§ Mr. Meale
(a) The following executive non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department publish the minutes of their meetings on the internet or make them available in paper form or do both: Countryside Commission, English Nature, Environment Agency, Health and Safety Commission, Health and Safety Executive, Housing Action Trusts (Castle Vale, Liverpool, North Hull, Stonebridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest), Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Local Government Commission for England, London Regional Passengers' Committee.
(b) The following executive non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department publish the agendas of meetings and documents for their meetings: Countryside Commission, English Nature, Environment Agency', Health and Safety Commission, Health and Safety Executive, Housing Action Trusts (Castle Vale, Liverpool, North Hull, 243W Stonebridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest), Joint Nature Conservation Committee, London Regional Passengers' Committee. ¹Agendas only
(c) The following executive non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department publish a register of members' interests: Audit Commission, British Board of Agrement, Commission for the New Towns, Countryside Commission, Docklands Light Railway, English Nature, English Partnerships, Environment Agency, Health and Safety Commission, Housing Action Trusts (Castle Vale, Liverpool, North Hull, Stonebridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest), Housing Corporation, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Local Government Commission for England, Local Government Residuary Body (England), National Forest Company, Rural Development Commission.
All executive NDPBs have or should shortly have a register of interests in place.
None of these items is published under a statutory requirement.
No information has been supplied on Regional Development Agencies as they are not yet operational and are still in the process of making decisions on these matters.

Dr. Tony Wright
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department(a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings, (b) hold public meetings, (c) have lay or consumer representatives on their boards and (d) operate some form of appeal or complaints procedure; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69984]

§ Mr. Meale
(a) The following executive non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings: Countryside Commission, Housing Action Trusts (Castle Vale, Liverpool, North Hull, Stonebridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest), London Regional Passengers' Committee.
(b) The following executive non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department hold public meetings: Commission for the New Towns, Countryside Commission, Docklands Light Railway, English Nature, English Partnerships, Environment Agency, Health and Safety Commission, Housing Action Trusts (Castle Vale, Liverpool, North Hull, Stonebridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest), Local Government Commission for England, Local Government Residuary Body (England), Traffic Director for London.
(c) The following executive non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department have lay or consumer representatives on their boards: Health and Safety Commission, Housing Action Trusts (Castle Vale, Liverpool, North Hull, Stonebridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest), Housing Corporation, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, London Pensions Fund Authority, London Regional Passengers' Committee.
(d)The following executive non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department operate some form of appeal or complaints procedure: Audit Commission, Commission for the New Towns, Countryside Commission, Docklands Light Railway, English Nature, English Partnerships, Environment Agency, General Lighthouse Authorities (Northern Lighthouse Board, Trinity House) Health and Safety Commission, Health and Safety Executive, Housing 244W Action Trusts (Castle Vale, Liverpool, North Hull, Stonebridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest), Housing Corporation, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Local Government Commission for England, London Pensions Fund Authority, London Regional Passengers' Committee, Rural Development Commission, Traffic Director for London.
None of these matters is subject to a statutory requirement.
No information has been supplied on Regional Development Agencies as they are not yet operational and are still in the process of making decisions on these matters.