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Mr. Cynog Dafis (Ceredigion): Are not animal welfare and environmental sustainability also relevant to the marketing of both Welsh beef and Welsh lamb? Are not extremely high standards of animal welfare maintained in the production of Welsh beef and lamb?
Mr. Griffiths: Yes. The hon. Member makes a worthwhile point. We must bear in mind the fact that both beef and lamb farming have extensive and traditional methods of rearing animals, and people can be reassured of the humane way in which the animals are brought up and cared for.
The measures that the Government and by agencies such as Welsh Food Promotions Ltd. have taken will restore public confidence in beef. Indeed, the evidence shows that that is beginning to happen already. The Government can demonstrate clearly the safety of British beef. Once that has been accepted by our European partners, British beef will once again take its place as a product of the highest quality on international markets.
The Government are also negotiating with theCommission to create the means by which that can be brought about. In the meantime, we are actively involved in helping the farming and food industries to promote British beef to the consumer as a quality product.
I can only hope that all those involved in purchasing, on behalf of the public, in public organisations suchas NHS trusts, local government and Government
Departments, will take heart from the fact that the Government are confident that British and Welsh beef is a quality product, produced under the most stringent public health and safety conditions, and that all consumers can purchase and eat it with confidence.
It being Two o'clock, the motion for the Adjournment of the House lapsed, without Question put.
Sitting suspended, pursuant to Standing Order No. 10 (Wednesday sittings), till half-past Two o'clock.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Sub-standard Contract Work
1. Mr. Rhodri Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the conditions relating to sub-standard performance by a private company carrying out work subsequent to market-testing which could lead to termination of its contract. [4927]
The Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service (Mr. Peter Kilfoyle): Contracts with private companies should set out, among other things, the agreed standards of performance and the action to be taken if those standards are not achieved. Although general guidance is available, the precise conditions in each case will depend on the particular services to be provided and the expectations of the public body issuing the contract.
Mr. Morgan: I am sure that the Minister is aware that yesterday, Capita completed the first year of its three-year contract running the telephone inquiry service at Companies House in Cardiff. Is he also aware that for much of that first year Capita was operating at below 30 per cent. of the agreed standard of answering the telephone within the first six rings? In the light of that, will he agree to review the contract in its entirety?
Mr. Kilfoyle: I am sure that my hon. Friend will appreciate that that is primarily a matter for the President of the Board of Trade. I am sure that he will take the matter up with her, and I also undertake to do so.
Small Businesses
2. Mr. Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures he has taken to reduce the burden of bureaucracy on small businesses. [4928]
Mr. Kilfoyle: As promised in our manifesto, we are in the process of appointing a revitalised task force, half of whose members will represent small business. We look forward to working with them to cut red tape and ensure that burdensome new regulations are not imposed on small businesses.
Mr. Bayley: I welcome the fact that small businesses will be involved in that process. The small business contribution to the Government's welfare-to-work programme will be extremely important. As someone who has set up and run a small business, may I tell my hon. Friend that there should be necessary regulation to protect businesses, staff and customers, but that unnecessary regulation is a headache? Will he spread the message among all his ministerial colleagues to make sure that regulation is fine tuned so that it is imposed only where absolutely necessary?
Mr. Kilfoyle: I congratulate my hon. Friend, who has a long and proud record of an enlightened approach to government, especially in the local government arena.
We have already made many contacts with Ministers cross-departmentally about the virtues of better quality regulation. We will shortly be establishing a cross- departmental "access business" group of Ministers so that we can break down many of the existing barriers for small businesses. We hope to achieve that by means of the most appropriate forms of information technology currently available.Open Government
3. Mr. Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures his Department is taking to improve openness in government. [4929]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Dr. David Clark): I hope to publish a White Paper on freedom of information before the summer recess.
Mr. Miller: I am grateful, as I am sure that the entire House will be, for that answer. Will the Bill ensure that quangos are more open and accountable?
Dr. Clark: My hon. Friend has a long record of trying to promote openness in government. I well recall his successful efforts to ensure that Hansard went on the Internet. He has my assurance that we are determined to make quangos more accountable and open. That will certainly be covered by the Bill. In the meantime, my colleagues and I are keen to encourage the appropriate bodies to take heed of that and to consider ways of making their activities more open to the general public.
Mr. Forth: Will the right hon. Gentleman extend his support for openness in government to openness with the House? Does he expect to set a personal example in that regard?
Mr. Mackinlay: In his review of open government, will my right hon. Friend contemplate considerably reducing the embargo on public records from 30 years? We should like to scrutinise the records to find out whether, during their negotiations in 1982, the Conservative Government contemplated handing over the Falkland Islands this year. Some openness on the stewardship of government by the Tories in the past 18 years would be most welcome.
Dr. Clark: We shall certainly look at the possibility of opening up more of the Public Record Office and reducing the 30-year rule. Those matters will be covered in the White Paper.
Mr. Maclennan: I welcome the information that the Chancellor of the Duchy provided at the beginning of his answer. Does he favour greater openness in respect of the budgetary process so as to open up for responsible fiscal debate the options that the Government are considering? While recognising that certain price-sensitive information cannot be published, does he agree that much of the rigmarole that we have today is fuddy duddy, archaic and unhelpful?
Dr. Clark: It is my intention that when we introduce a freedom of information Bill we should exclude as little as
possible. The issue of advice proffered to Ministers must be weighed up, but I intend to ensure that factual and analytical information is made available as widely and openly as possible.
Mr. Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend will know that under the previous Government a fifth of all public spending was in the hands of 70,000 quangocrats. Will he make sure that his review examines the position of the Tory place men and women?
Dr. Clark: We are currently looking at the position of quangos and I hope to deal with that issue when we produce our White Paper on better government later this year.
Mr. William Ross: As so much of Northern Ireland is controlled by quangos, the right hon. Gentleman will understand that we have a particular interest in openness in government. Given also the statement yesterday by Mr. Ray Burke, the Foreign Minister of the Irish Republic, that if a parade were forced down the Garvaghy road, there would be
- "serious implications for matters in this island",
Dr. Clark: I think that we are straying somewhat off the point of the question. We want to try to achieve as much consensus and openness as possible. If the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues would like to discuss their views on the issues of freedom of information, we shall happily listen to them.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard: In the interests of open government, would the right hon. Gentleman be kind enough to describe to the House the nature of the inquiry into the allegations by the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) announced by the Prime Minister last Wednesday? By whom was the inquiry conducted? Who was interviewed and by whom?
Dr. Clark: I very much welcome the right hon. Lady to the Dispatch Box in her new capacity. I hope that her tenure there will be long and happy. Her question is not within my responsibility and she must pursue it through the appropriate channels.
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