HC Deb 18 May 1978 vol 950 cc297-302W
Q46. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Prime Minister what progress has been made towards more open government in the last 12 months; and what further plans he has in mind to expedite the process.

The Prime Minister

Within the last 12 months, Government Departments have received and implemented formal guidance based on the principles outlined in my statement in the debate on the Address on 24th November 1976. Although no central record is kept, sample inquiries of Departments have shown that the guidance has had an encouraging effect on the amount of material made publicly available. Illustrative details are given below. At present the Government have no plans to introduce further measures.

Department and Item

Department of the Environment

  1. (1) Housing Green Paper (plus related material and 9 consultation documents).
  2. (2) Consultation documents on Layfield Committee Report on Local Government Finance.
  3. (3) Ethnic records for housing: Consultation paper.
  4. (4) Review of the Rent Acts: Consultation paper.
  5. (5) Ancient Monuments: Consultation paper.
  6. (6) Countryside Review Committee Papers.

Department of the Environment (Property Services Agency) Cost in use implications of capital investment in buildings"—two articles published in "DOE Construction".

DHSS

  1. (1) The Report of the Co-ordinating Committee on Abuse.
  2. (2) Evidence to the Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth.
  3. (3) Report by Sir James Howie on Medical Laboratory Safety.

Home Office

  1. (1) Descriptive document on "Prisons and the Prisoner".
  2. (2) Review of Criminal Justice Policy 1976 (published in November 1977).
  3. (3) Report of the Crime Policy Planning Unit.
  4. (4) Report of the Working Party on the Electoral Register.

Inland Revenue

  1. (1) "Capital Gains Tax: Tapering Relief".
  2. (2) "Trades Professions and Vocations carried on partly abroad".
  3. (3) "Profit sharing: Tax Relief".

Lord Chancellor's Department Eextended statistical information in Law Society Annual Report on operation and finance of the Legal Aid Act 1974.

Northern Ireland Office

  1. (1) Text of the Secretary of State's letter of 22nd November 1977 to the leaders of the Official Unionist Party, the Social Democratic & Labour Party, Alliance Party & the Democratic Unionist Party, outlining the framework for talks with officials on an interim system of devolved government in Northern Ireland.
  2. (2) Londonderry/Donegal Cross-Border Communications Study: published December 1977.
  3. (3) "Housing Proposals in the Shankill Area of Belfast"—published in October 1977.
  4. (4) "Housing Finance—the Facts"—published in June 1977.
  5. (5) "Report of Recommendations of the Road Accident Study Group" published in July 1977.
  6. (6) "The Gas Industry in Northern Ireland—Report by British Gas Corporation—published in May 1977.
  7. (7) "The Shephard Report—the present and projected financial position of the NI Electricity Service"—published February 1977.
  8. (8) "Manpower and Training—a regional asset"—published November 1977.
  9. (9) "Youth Opportunities Programme—Northern Ireland"—published August 1977.
  10. (10) "Positive Policies—a guide to disablement grants"—published November 1977.
  11. (11) "The Belfast Areas of Special Social Need Report"—published March 1977.
  12. (12) Reorganisation of Education in Northern Ireland.
    1. (a) The Report of the Working Party on attendance transfer arrangements—published April 1977.
    2. (b) Detailed analytical background supporting the decision announced by Lord Melchett to introduce comprehensive education in Northern Ireland—published June 1977.
    3. (c) Sixth Form feasibility study—published November 1977.
  13. (13) "Legislation and Services for Children and Young People" (Black Committee)—published June 1977.
  14. (14) "Day and Care and Education for the under fives"—published July 1977.
  15. (15) "Private Practice and the Health Service in Northern Ireland"—published November 1977.
  16. (16) "The Need for Care—Old People in Residential Homes"—published March 1977.
  17. (17) "Community Work in a rural area"—published September 1977.
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  18. (18) "Consultative document on the future role and structure of the Youth Service in Northern Ireland"—published December 1976.
  19. (19) Major statement by Mr. Ray Carter on Housing Policy in Belfast, incorporating facts and statistical information on the condition of the housing stock in Belfast—December 1976.
  20. (20) Report of the Planning Appeals Commission on Housing Needs in West Belfast—published January 1977.
  21. (21) Announcement by Lord Melchett of the creation of additional teaching posts in Northern Ireland, accompanied by factual and statistical information of pupil/teacher ratios, teacher unemployment, wastage rates etc.—February 1977.
  22. (22) White Paper on Court Administration, accompanied by explanatory document—Autumn 1977.
  23. (23) Criminal Damage (Compensation) (NI) Order 1977, based on the Waddell Committee Report to the Secretary of State—published March 1977.
  24. (24) Judgements Enforcement and Debts Recovery (NI) Order—published with explanatory Press notice.
  25. (25) Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights. Human Rights Study reported to Secretary of State, subsequently publihed with explanatory document.
  26. (26) Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights. Report on Divorce and Homosexuality to Secretary of State, subsequently published.

Ministry of Overseas Development

  1. (1) Overseas Development Paper No. 8 on "Appropriate Technology".
  2. (2) Overseas Development Paper No. 9 on "Area Development".

Department of Transport

  1. (1) New developments in the presentation of transport statistics.
  2. (2) "Passenger Vehicles (Experimental Areas) Designation Order 1977".
  3. (3) "Bus Licensing".
  4. (4) "Public Transport Planning".
  5. (5) "Accounting for Bus Operations".
  6. (6) Proposals for Legislation Affecting Heavy Goods Vehicles.
  7. (7) "Additional Power for Local Authorities to Control Off-Street Parking".
  8. (8) "Concessionary Fares for the Elderly, Blind and Disabled People".
  9. (9) "A Study of Some Methods of Traffic Restraint".
  10. (10) "A Study of Some Methods of Traffic Restraint".
  11. (11) Three reports produced by consultants relating to private non-residential parking in Bristol, Sheffield and Nottingham.
  12. (12) "Car Ownership Trends and Forecasts".
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  13. (13) "Route Location with Regard to Environmental issues".

Scottish Office

  1. (1) Scottish Housing—A Consultative Document, June 1977.
  2. (2) Review of the Rent Acts, May 1977.
  3. (3) Teacher Training from 1977 Onwards, May and July 1977 (two papers).
  4. (4) Review of the Management of Planning, April 1977.
  5. (5) Health Authorities Revenue Equalisation Report, 1977.
  6. (6) Storm Sewage: separation and disposal, 1977, Central Research Unit.
  7. (7) The Children's Hearing System: A Review of research (Scottish Office research study 1977).
  8. (8) The use of Industrial Land—a report of a case study in Northern Lanarkshire May 1977.
  9. (9) The Social Aspects of Diligence: an interim report of investigations by the Central Research Unit, Scottish Office, May 1977.
  10. (10) Evaluation Research in Social Policy: a review of aims and approaches, May 1977.
  11. (11) The Impact of Large Retail Outlets or Patterns of Retailing: a synthesis of research results in Great Britain, June 1977.
  12. (12) Location of Social Facilities: a summary report, July 1977.
  13. (13) Location of Social Facilities: a computer assisted approach July 1977.
  14. (14) Monitoring the Summerston Housing Co-operative first progress report, September 1977.
  15. (15) Residential Mobile Homes in Scotland: a study of mobile homes, their sites and their residents in 1975, October 1977.

Planning (16) Land Use Summary Sheets dealing with some of the major land uses in Scotland. (17) Planning Advice Notes dealing with various aspects of the development of planning systems. (18) Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals Planning Information Notes Bulletin: development plan progress in Scotland, issued quarterly, first issue September 1977.

Welsh Office

  1. (1) Welsh in the Primary Schools of Gwynedd, Dyfed and Powys—published in September 1977.
  2. (2) Examination Achievements in Wales—paper published February 1978.

New Welsh Office Statistical Series

  1. (3) Welsh Local Government Financial Statistics—first published September 1977, in future to be published annually.
  2. (4) Welsh Social Trends—first published November 1977, in future to be published annually.

MAFF Review of the UK Horticultural Industry.

Cabinet Office Survey of the Export Intelligence Services.

DES.

  1. (1) Papers prepared for the Advisory Committee on the Supply & Training of Teachers.
  2. (2) "A Study of School Building"—a report by an interdepartmental group.

Department of Trade

  1. (1) Report of Air Traffic Forecasting.
  2. (2) Collection of documents about the pay and conditions of African workers employed by British companies in South Africa.

Treasury

  1. (1) "Standardised Budget Balance" in the Economic Progress Report.
  2. (2) New series of Treasury working papers.

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