§ Mr. BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on(a) the function and (b) the remit of the Advisory Group on Openness in the Public Sector. [100651]
§ Mr. StrawThe function of the Advisory Group on Openness in the Public Sector is to advise the Secretary of State on the steps needed to be taken ahead of legislation to create a culture of openness in all public services and lay the foundations for the implementation of a future Freedom of Information Act.
The remit of the Advisory Group is to:
advise the Home Secretary on proposals for promoting cultural change in the public sector to foster a culture of greater openness; assist in the development of training and education programmes for public servants to promote cultural change and facilitate the introduction of Freedom of Information; andundertake other tasks related to the implementation of Freedom of Information as directed by the Home Secretary.The Group is chaired by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien), and the members are drawn from a variety of backgrounds. Some bring a specialist knowledge of an area of public service to the Group's work, while others have a 386W particular interest in Freedom of Information on the management of change. Information about the Advisory Group, including information about its function and remit as well as accounts of its meetings, is published on the Home Office website.
The Group has today submitted its recommendations to me and I have placed a copy of the report in the Library.