HC Deb 13 November 2001 vol 374 cc610-1W
Sandra Gidley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many consultation documents were issued by his Department and its predecessors from(a) 15 October to 14 January, (b) 15 January to 14 April, (c) 15 April to 14 July and (d) 15 July to 14 October in each year from 1996. [12876]

Dr. Whitehead

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on Tuesday 23 October 2001,Official Report, column 198W, which is unfortunately incorrect. A more extensive search of Departmental records has revealed that the Department issued 33 consultation documents during the summer recess 2001.

Records of consultation exercises have been kept centrally only since the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultation became effective on 1 January 2001. In this period, the Department issued 108 consultation documents broken down as follows:

  • 1 January—14 April: 50
  • 15 April—14 July: 16
  • 15 July—14 October: 34
  • 15 October to date: 8.