HC Deb 09 March 2000 vol 345 cc789-90W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) if she will make it a requirement for non-departmental public bodies that they should record the matters discussed and agreements reached in meetings held with other NDPBs in the form of minutes; [113302]

(2) what proportion of non-departmental public bodies hold open meetings; [113307]

(3) how many people are board members of non-departmental public bodies in the United Kingdom; broken down between (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales. [113311]

Mr. Stringer

All executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are encouraged to publish minutes of meetings, either whole or in summary form, and to hold meetings in public. Individual Departments and NDPBs themselves are best placed to determine whether this is appropriate on a case-by-case basis. Information on the number of NDPBs holding open meetings is not held centrally.

There are currently over 30,000 men and women serving on the boards of NDPBs (and their equivalents) across the UK. Information on these office-holders, including information on the numbers serving in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, is published in "Public Bodies 1999". Copies of "Public Bodies 1999" are available from the libraries of the House.