HC Deb 07 November 1996 vol 284 cc593-4W
Mr. Pawsey

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Government will respond to the outstanding recommendations contained in the second report of the Select Committee on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration on open government, HC 84, Session 1995–96. [3055]

Mr. Freeman

The Government have submitted their response to the remaining recommendations of the report of the Select Committee on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, and the Committee is arranging for the response to be published today.

The Government responded to the majority of the recommendations contained in the Select Committee's report on 28 June 1996. It welcomed many of the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report, and in particular the Committee's endorsement of the "Code of Practice on Access to Government Information" as having been an important and valuable contribution to more open government. The Government's response reaffirmed their commitment to greater openness.

The Government's initial response did not, however, cover seven of the Committee's recommendations which had implications for openness in government beyond the code of practice. The Government wished to await the report of the Public Service Committee on ministerial accountability and responsibility, believing that it would provide a valuable contribution to their consideration of the issues in this area. That report was published on 30 July and the Government's response to it is also being published today.

The Government are grateful to the Select Committee on the PCA for the constructive contribution that it has made to the debate on openness. I am pleased that we have been able to agree to many of the recommendations contained in its report and that much common ground has been established between the Committee and the Government on these important issues.

However, the Government do not accept the Committee's proposal for a Freedom of Information Act. It believes that the non-statutory code of practice has a proven record and should now be given an enhanced role as setting the clear, recognised minimum standard for providing information to Parliament, and in setting out the reasons for withholding information on those occasions when this is necessary. Given this increased importance for the provisions of the code, the Government do not believe that it would now be sensible to seek a fundamental change in its status.

The Government will soon be issuing a revised code of practice and guidance on its interpretation, to reflect the responses to the PCA and Public Service Committees and in the light of the day-to-day operation of the code during the last two and a half years. The ability to amend the code to reflect experience in this way is, in the Government's view, a major advantage of their preferred non-statutory approach.