§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the full Internet names of the newsgroups on which the Central Office of Information makes available Government press releases and other information; and whether each of those newsgroups is available to members of the public with Internet access without additional charge.
§ Mr. WaldegraveNo central list is kept of the Internet names that might be accessible through the many distributors, some of them overseas, involved in handling the Hermes files of Government press notices.
All distributors charge users for access.
§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if his Department will instruct the Central Office of Information to make available more Government information on the Internet and bulletin board systems in order that citizens with computer and modem access can monitor Government decisions and announcements without further charges.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe Central Office of Information already makes available a large amount of information on behalf of Government Departments through on-line database files Hermes and Hermes Daily. The COI is always open to representations about demand for additional information which might be made available in this way.
§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will examine the feasibility of setting up a Central Office of Information electronic bulletin board system covering(a) Government press releases and (b) other Government information for free public access.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe Central Office of Information's Hermes database of Government press releases is already available to the public via a number of on-line services. Charges for access are determined by the database hosts. I have no plans to examine the feasibility of setting up a Central Office of Information bulletin board system for free public access.