§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Water Services publish(a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) the minutes of meetings, (d) the agendas of meetings and (e) a register of members' interests; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary; [37876]
(2) if the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Water Services are subject to (a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) provisions for open government and (e) performance indicators; and (f) provisions under the citizens charter; [37877]
(3) what is the statutory basis of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Water Services; if they (a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary. [37880]
§ Mr. Clappison[holding answer 18 July I996]: The 10 customer service committees—CSCs—of the Office of Water Services are statutory bodies, independent of the water industry, established and maintained by the Director General of Water Services under section 28 of the Water Industry Act 1991. CSCs fall outside the remit of the Parliamentary Commissioner and the Audit Commission, but are subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office. CSCs have the status of executive non-departmental public bodies but are administratively integrated with Ofwat. They operate to performance standards agreed with the director general and apply the same provisions for open government and the citizen's charter as does Ofwat itself.
Meetings of the CSCs are held in public in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960. Further details of the practices followed by the CSCs in undertaking their business are contained in the annual reports of Ofwat and the CSCs, copies of which are in the Library.
30W
§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if the Ofwat national customer council(a) holds public meetings, (b) conducts public consultation exercises, (c) conducts consultation exercises with outside interests, (d) publishes a register of members' interests, (e) publishes agendas for meetings and (f) publishes the minutes of meetings; and if in each case this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary; [37909]
(2) what is the statutory base of the Ofwat national customer council; if it (a) publishes its advice, (b) publishes an annual report and (c) lays an annual report before Parliament; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary. [37910]
§ Mr. Clappison[holding answer 18 July 1996]: The Ofwat national customer council is a non-statutory body, independent of the water industry, established by the Director General of Water Services. The manner in which it conducts its business is a matter for the council, and is described in its annual report, a copy of which is in the Library.