HC Deb 13 March 2003 vol 401 cc396-7W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the President of the Council how many times the Privy Council met in 2002; and how many privy councillors were present on each occasion. [103041]

Mr. Robin Cook

The Privy Council met on 14 occasions in 2002. Details are given in the table:

Date of Council Number of Privy Councillors present
14 January 3
23 January 3
12 February 6 (of whom 2 were new Councillors attending to be sworn in)
26 March 6 (of whom 2 were new Councillors attending to be sworn in)
17 April 4
22 May 7 (of whom 3 were new Councillors attending to be sworn in)
31 May 5
26 June 3
16 July 7 (of whom 2 were new Councillors attending to be sworn in)

Date of Council Number of Privy Councillors present
22 October 5 (of whom one was a new Councillors attending to be sworn in)
29 October 5
5 November 4
20 November 8 (of whom 4 were new Councillors attending to be sworn in)
17 December 6 (of whom one was new Councillors attending to be sworn in)

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the President of the Council on what basis privy councillors are selected to sit on ad hoc committees of the Council. [103043]

Mr. Robin Cook

Nowadays such committees are established only to consider petitions from bodies seeking a Royal Charter. Their business is conducted in correspondence. Those involved in the correspondence are those Privy Councillors with ministerial responsibility for the area of the body's activities and the Law Officers.