Dr. Tony WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish(a) the minutes of meetings, (b) the agendas of meetings and documents for those meetings and (c) a register of members' interests; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69939]
§ Mr. Michael(a) The Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) publishes the minutes of its AGM. The Environment Agency Advisory Committee for Wales (EAACW) produces a summary of main issues in its Annual Report. The Welsh Committee for Professional Development of Pharmacy (WCPDP); the Welsh Dental Committee (WDC); the Welsh Medical Committee (WMC); the Welsh Nursing and Midwifery Committee (WNMC); the Welsh Optical Committee (WOC); the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee (WPC); and the Welsh 395W Scientific Advisory Committee (WSAC) provide extracts from any minutes on request, plan to publish minutes in a newsletter and are investigating the use of a website. In addition the Social Services Inspectorate for Wales: Inspection Advisory Group (SSIW:AIG) is currently considering how best to make its minutes publicly available. This is not a statutory requirement;
(b) LGBC and the Library and Information Services Council (Wales) (LISC(W)) both publish the agendas of their AGMs. This is not a statutory requirement;
(c) all have, or are in the process of introducing, a Code of Practice for Board members, which requires the NDPB to maintain a register of members' interests which is open to the public. This is not a statutory requirement.
Following the transfer of powers, these issues will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Dr. Tony WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; and which are subject to investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner. [69915]
§ Mr. MichaelCardiff Bay Development Corporation (CBDC); the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW); the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (ACCAC); the Further Education Funding Council for Wales (FEFCW); the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW); the Wales Tourist Board (WTB); the Welsh Development Agency (WDA); the Welsh Language Board (WLB); the Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (WNB): and the agricultural wages committees all have a statutory base. All other executive NDPBs have been established by Royal Charter or Royal Warrant.
The Arts Council of Wales; CBDC; CCW; the Sports Council for Wales; WTB; WLB; and the agricultural wages committees are all open to the scrutiny of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (PCA). The Government of Wales Act establishes a new office of Welsh Administration Ombudsman whose jurisdiction will include all the bodies listed above other than the agricultural wages committees who will continue to be subject to the PCA's jurisdiction unless and until the Assembly decides otherwise and a transfer is effected by order. The Act also allows for the National Assembly to add more bodies to the list of those who will be within the Welsh Ombudsman's jurisdiction.
Following the transfer of powers, these issues will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Dr. Tony WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department(a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings, (b) hold public meetings, (c) have lay or consumer representatives on their boards and (d) operate some form of appeal or complaints procedure; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69988]
§ Mr. Michael(a) The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW); Welsh Language Board (WLB); the Sports Council for Wales (SCW); the Welsh Development Agency (WDA); and the Welsh National Board for 396W Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (WNB) admit the public to all Board meetings. This is not a statutory requirement.
(b) All except the agricultural wages committees hold, or are making arrangements to hold, meetings with the public, press and customers. This is not a statutory requirement.
(c) The Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (ACCAC); ACW; Cardiff Bay Development Corporation (CBDC); the Further Education Funding Council for Wales (FEFCW); the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW); the National Museums and Galleries of Wales (NMGW); SCW; WDA; and WNB. This is a statutory requirement for ACCAC, FEFCW, HEFCW, and the WDA; for the NMGW it is a requirement of its Royal Charter.
(d) All except the agricultural wages committees have an appeal or complaints procedure in place. It is not a statutory requirement.
It is now policy to encourage such bodies in Wales to be as open as possible in their work and to bear in mind that following the transfer of powers, these issues will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Dr. Tony WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish(a) the minutes of meetings, (b) the agendas of meetings and documents for those meetings and (c) a register of members' interests; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69957]
§ Mr. Michael(a) The Arts Council of Wales (ACW); Cardiff Bay Development Corporation (CBDC); the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW); the Further Education Funding Council for Wales (FEFCW); the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW); the National Museums and Galleries of Wales (NMGW); the Sports Council for Wales (SCW); the Wales Tourist Board (WTB); the Welsh Language Board (WLB); and the Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (WNB) all publish minutes or summary reports which are made available in a number of ways, for example, through newsletters, websites or press releases. The Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (ACCAC) and the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) have plans to issue summary reports in the near future. The publication of minutes is not a statutory requirement.
(b)ACW; CCW; National Library of Wales (NLW); SCW; WLB; and WNB. Publication of the agendas and documents is not a statutory requirement.
(c)All executive NDPBs have a Code of Practice for Board members, which includes the requirement to maintain a register of members' interests which is open to the public. This is not a statutory requirement.
Following the transfer of powers, these issues will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Dr. Tony WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Welsh Office(a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings, (b) hold 397W public meetings and (c) have lay or consumer representatives on their boards; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69970]
§ Mr. Michael(a) There is no statutory requirement for any of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Welsh Office to admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings and I am advised that none of them do so.
(b)The Library and Information Services Council (Wales) (LISC(W)) and the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) already hold public meetings. The Welsh Committee for Professional Development of Pharmacy (WCPDP): the Welsh Dental Committee (WDC); the Welsh Medical Committee (WMC); the Welsh Nursing and Midwifery Committee (WNMC); the Welsh Optical Committee (WOC): the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee (WPC); and the Welsh Scientific Advisory Committee (WSAC) plan to hold an AGM from 1999 onwards. This is not a statutory requirement.
(c)The Environment Agency Advisory Committee for Wales (EAACW) and the Social Services Inspectorate for Wales: Inspection Advisory Group (SSIW:IAG). This is not a statutory requirement.
Following the transfer of powers, these issues will be a matter for the National Assembly.