Freedom of Information (Hansard, 10 June 1998)

§ 18. Mr. Edwards
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on progress towards freedom of information legislation. [43515]

§ 22. Mr. Hanson
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress he has made towards publishing draft freedom of information legislation. [43519]

§ Dr. David Clark
We are making good progress in turning the policy proposals set out in the White PaperYour Right to Know into draft legislation. I greatly welcome the support of the Select Committee on Public Administration in their recent substantial report on our 620W proposals. My colleagues and I are now considering carefully the detailed recommendations that the Committee has made. When we have done so I intend to publish the draft bill, again for consultation, as soon as possible.

§ 23. Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his public consultations on measures to make his Department more open. [43521]

§ Dr. David Clark
My Department like all government departments will be subject to our proposals for a Freedom of Information Act. As regards the result of consultations on those proposals, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (Dr. Kumar) on 1 April 1998,Official Report, columns 587–89.

§ 24. Mr. Paterson
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his recent consultations on his proposed freedom of information legislation. [43522]

§ Dr. David Clark
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (Dr. Kumar) on 1 April 1998,Official Report, columns 587–89.

§ Ms Abbott
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many responses he has received to his Freedom of Information White Paper. [43510]

§ Dr. David Clark
I received 557 responses to the consultation exercise on the Freedom of Information White Paper,Your Right to Know.

§ Mr. Amess
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent representations he has received on his proposals for open government. [43517]

§ Dr. David Clark
I recently received the Report of the Select Committee on Public Administration on the Government's White Paper,Your Right to Know, which described the proposals as "a radical advance in open and accountable government".