§ Mr. WilshireTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list all leaked Foreign Affairs Committee documents that reached(a) him, (b) his ministers, (c) his officials, (d) his advisers and (e) departmental parliamentary private secretaries during (i) 1998 and (ii) 1999 and the dates on which they were received; [73806]
(2) if he will send to the Clerk of the Foreign Affairs Committee all leaked Committee documents and copies of them that are or have been in his or his Department's possession and that are rightfully the property of the committee, the House or hon. Members. [73902]
§ Mr. Robin Cook[holding answer 1 March 1999]: I refer to my earlier answer to the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) on 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 259-60, and to my statements in the House 24 February 1999, Official Report, column 415, and 2 March 1999, Official Report, column 894.
My office received, shortly before its publication in December 1998, the command paper version of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee's Report on Human Rights. It was seen by myself and by a limited number of officials.
My office received in January 1999 a copy of a draft version of the Foreign Affairs Committee's Report on enlargement. It was seen by the Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin), and by a limited number of officials. Reflecting the fact that the subject matter was not controversial, it was not shown to me.
No action was taken to publish or disclose any part of these Reports, or to interfere in any way with their preparation or the Committee's deliberations on them. No advice or assistance was given to any Member of the Select Committee in the drafting of amendments.