§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken since May 1997 to invite members of the public to volunteer to serve on(a) taskforces and (b) other ad hoc advisory bodies; and how many such volunteers have been appointed. [52228]
§ Mr. LeslieTask forces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews are by their nature created to provide advice on a particular subject or subject area. Ministers can, and often do, seek participants from a wide range of backgrounds to provide the best possible advice. Many of them give their time and efforts freely, though precise details are not held centrally.