§ 48. Mr. Rifkindasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will consider extending the proposed reform of the Official Secrets Act to include a provision of a general right of access to official information.
§ Mr. Charles R. MorrisThe Official Secrets Act is concerned with the unauthorised disclosure of information. My hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Home Office—my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Mr. John)—announced in the debate on the Queen's Speech the intention to publish a White Paper on the Government's proposals for amending Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act. A general right of access to official information is an aspect of open government on which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has already announced the Government's policy. It is to increase the authorised disclosure of official information by making available as much as possible of the factual and analytical material associated with major policy studies.