§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the operation of the Environment Information Regulations 1992; how many applicants for information under the regulations over the past year have been refused the information requested; and if he will list the reasons for not providing the information in each available case. [14919]
§ Mr. GummerThis information is not normally held centrally, but from a recent review of the operation of the regulations within central Government Departments, non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies, it was ascertained that during the calendar year 1996 there were at last 25 refusals to supply information under the100W regulations. Where cited the reasons for refusal were discretionary exemption (7), mandatory exemption (3), information not environmental (1), request formulated in too general a manner (1), and information supplied in part (1).