§ Mr. LilleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his Department's policy to make notes of(a) meetings and (b) telephone conversations involving Ministers; and under what circumstances no notes would be taken. [149530]
§ Mr. Caplin[holding answer 20 January 2004]The Ministry of Defence follows the central "Guidance on the Management of Private Office Papers" which makes clear that good record management procedures are necessary not least to ensure accountability and provide an audit trail. Among the records covered by the guidance are Ministers' meetings and telephone conversations.