§ Llew SmithTo ask the President of the Council if he will make it his policy that in cases where hon. Members request that ministers place publications in the Library, a copy of the material requested is automatically sent to the hon. Member in question. [86166]
§ Mr. Robin CookAs Leader of the House, I want to modernise the House and to make sure that practices and procedures make it easy for Members to be fully informed.
I am happy to endorse the practice of sending publications to Members who request copies to be placed in the Library of the House. The position remains that when informationis deposited in the Library for the first time, in response to a Parliamentary question a copy of the information should, wherever practical, be supplied to the Member at the same time1.
From time to time there may be good reason why information cannot be made public and a request to place it in the Library therefore cannot be accepted.
1 Government response to the Ninth Report of the Public Administration Select Committee: Ministerial Accountability and PQs.