§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the powers of Ministers to refuse to provide information requested in response to written parliamentary questions will be curtailed by the proposals included in the White Paper on Freedom of Information. [21167]
§ Dr. David ClarkMinisters are required by the House to answer parliamentary questions in accordance with the Resolution of 19 March 1997. This states
Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament, refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest, which should be decided in accordance with relevant statute and the Government's Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Second Edition, January 1997)".At such time as a Freedom of Information Act comes into force, the House will no doubt wish to consider amending the reference in that Resolution to the Code of Practice accordingly.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if information relating to the Sovereign and her family in respect of their public roles will be available to the public under the proposals set out in the White Paper on Freedom of Information; and if he will make a statement. [21194]
§ Dr. David ClarkSuch information, where it is held by Government Departments, would be within the scope of the proposed Freedom of Information Act. Whether the information can be disclosed in particular cases will depend on whether it passes the harm and public interest tests integral to the Act's access provisions.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how long the consultation period in respect of the White Paper on Freedom of Information will last; and what target date he has for the introduction of a Bill to give effect to its provisions. [21142]
§ Dr. David ClarkComments and views on the proposals in the White Paper "Your Right to Know" (Cm 3818) are invited by 28 February 1998. Later in the year we will publish a draft Bill, also for consultation. In the light of comments received about this, a Bill will be introduced to the House as soon as the legislative programme permits.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will carry out an assessment to establish whether the test of substantial harm in the White Paper on Freedom of Information could obviate the need for the blanket exemption proposed for the security services. [21169]
§ Dr. David ClarkThis issue was considered in developing the proposals set out in the White Paper. The reasons why an exclusion from the Act was considered necessary for the Security and Intelligence Services are explained in paragraph 2.3.