Defence Advisory Notices

HC Deb 22 November 1999 vol 339 cc25-6W

Mr. Lidington

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his proposals to revise the terms of DA notices. [98759]

Mr. Hoon

The Defence, Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee, which has a mixed official and media membership, and which is currently revising the terms of the Defence Advisory Notices, is chaired by the Permanent Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Defence.

The six existing DA Notices were last revised in 1993, and can be found in Open Government Document 93/06. They are now being revised again, partly so that they reflect changes to policy since then, for example on the release of certain additional information about nuclear weapons; partly to ensure that no unnecessary security restrictions are imposed; and partly, at the request of the media members of the committee, to give as helpful guidance as possible to editors, broadcasters and publishers.

Changes to some of the details of the terms of the Notices will not affect any other aspects of the DA Notice system, which is advisory and voluntary, and leaves responsibility for what is published with the editor or publisher.

The aim is to complete work on the revision of the Notices by early next year, when a new Open Government Document will be issued.