Mr. John M. TaylorTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor will open meetings of the Advisory Council on Public Records to the public; and how many representations the Lord Chancellor has received on this matter since May 1997. [90058]
§ Mr. VazThe Government's policy document "Quangos: opening the doors" stated that NDPBs, of which the Advisory Council on Public Records is one, should hold open meetings where practicable and appropriate. The Council is keen to conduct its business in as public a manner as possible. However, one of its main responsibilities is in respect of the 30-year rule. This involves the discussion of information which is invariably confidential and frequently has significant security and foreign relations implications. Notwithstanding this, the622W Council is prepared to consider any request for public access to its deliberations which would not interfere with the proper discharge of its functions.
In accordance with this approach, the Council made arrangements for a particular part of its business to be televised last year. It would be prepared to make arrangements of a similar nature in future. The Council is anxious that the activities which it undertakes on behalf of the public are as widely publicised as possible.
The Lord Chancellor has previously received no representations on this matter.
Mr. John M. TaylorTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the response of the Chairman of the Advisory Council on Public Records to June 1997 petition from the census historians seeking the right to inspect 50-year-old decennial censuses of population for England and Wales; and if he will list the hon. Members who have made representations to the Lord Chancellor on this matter. [90059]
§ Mr. VazA copy of the petition was sent to the chairman of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Council on Public Records by a Mr. Denis McCready on 14 June 1997. Mr. McCready had been in lengthy correspondence with the Lord Chancellor, his Department, the Council and the Public Record Office, and the Lord Chancellor had instructed his private secretary to write to him to say that further letters would receive no reply. The secretary of the Council replied to Mr. McCready's letter on 17 June to say that the chairman had decided not to put the matter to the Council since the closure of the census had already received very full consideration over the years and that the Lord Chancellor's instructions about further correspondence applied to the Council. The Lord Chancellor has received no representations from hon. Members on this matter.