§ Mr. SinghTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the total number of releases under the open Government initiative. [73167]
§ Dr. Jack CunninghamThe latest number of records released under the open Government initiative now stands at over 96,000 and relates to releases up to the end of September 1998. This represents an increase of about 13 per cent. over the previous total of over 85,000 which was announced by my right hon. Friend the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Dr. Clark) on 22 December 1997,Official Report, column 394, and related to the total figure as at the end of September 1997.