HC Deb 22 February 1993 vol 219 cc418-9W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the Acts of Parliament affecting public scrutiny of the civil service and prohibiting disclosure of information which he is reviewing.

Mr. Waldegrave

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Fisher) on 2 November 1992,Official Report, column 55.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to increase the release of information to Parliament hitherto regarded as confidential for reasons of national security.

Mr. Waldegrave

As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear in the House on 6 May 1992, this Government are committed to greater openness and to removing unnecessary secrecy. In pursuit of this policy objective, the Government continue to review records which have a bearing on national security with the purpose of identifying material which can safely be released. There will, however, remain matters relating to security and intelligence on which it is difficult to comment without revealing, by what is said or not said, information that can have a bearing on the effectiveness of the security and intelligence services and the safety of their staff.