§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the standard arrangement for the declaration of interests by full- and part-time members, respectively, of public boards which are his responsibility; and if he will indicate in what manner the declared interests are available to the general public.
§ Mr. RipponThe statutory arrangement for the declaration of interests by a full-time or part-time member of a nationalised transport board is that anyone directly or indirectly interested in a contract made or proposed to be made by the board has to disclose the nature of his interest at a meeting of the board. 233W This disclosure has to be recorded in the board's minutes, and may be effected by his giving a general notice at a meeting of the board that he is a member of a specified company or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any contract that might be made with that company or firm. Such a disclosure is not made known to the general public. There are no such formal arrangements for the public bodies for which I am responsible which are not of a commercial character.