| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Freedom of Information
18. Mr. Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on progress towards freedom of information legislation. [43515]
22. Mr. Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress he has made towards publishing draft freedom of information legislation. [43519]
Dr. David Clark:
We are making good progress in turning the policy proposals set out in the White Paper Your Right to Know into draft legislation. I greatly welcome the support of the Select Committee on Public Administration in their recent substantial report on our
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 620
proposals. My colleagues and I are now considering carefully the detailed recommendations that the Committee has made. When we have done so I intend to publish the draft bill, again for consultation, as soon as possible.
23. Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his public consultations on measures to make his Department more open. [43521]
Dr. David Clark:
My Department like all government departments will be subject to our proposals for a Freedom of Information Act. As regards the result of consultations on those proposals, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (Dr. Kumar) on 1 April 1998, Official Report, columns 587-89.
24. Mr. Paterson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his recent consultations on his proposed freedom of information legislation. [43522]
Dr. David Clark:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (Dr. Kumar) on 1 April 1998, Official Report, columns 587-89.
Ms Abbott:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many responses he has received to his Freedom of Information White Paper. [43510]
Dr. David Clark:
I received 557 responses to the consultation exercise on the Freedom of Information White Paper, Your Right to Know.
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent representations he has received on his proposals for open government. [43517]
Dr. David Clark:
I recently received the Report of the Select Committee on Public Administration on the Government's White Paper, Your Right to Know, which described the proposals as "a radical advance in open and accountable government".
25. Mr. Peter Bradley:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his powers to appoint clergymen to livings; and on how many occasions he has exercised such powers since 1 May. [43524]
Dr. David Clark:
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is responsible for appointing incumbents to 42 church livings on behalf of her Majesty the Queen in Right of Her Duchy of Lancaster. Since 1 May 1997 I have approved the appointment of one clergyman and one woman priest to two of these livings which had become vacant.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many posts are classified as restricted to United Kingdom nationals only in the Civil Service, by department. [45114]
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 621
Dr. David Clark:
A full survey of the number of 'public service' posts (i.e. posts, which, under the terms of the EC Treaty, member states may reserve for their
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 622
own nationals) was last undertaken in 1994. The findings of that survey, adjusted to include more up to date information from the Ministry of Defence, are as follows:
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 621
| Department | Number of public service posts | Public service posts as % of total | Number of non public service posts | Non public service posts as % of total | Total number of posts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 1,536 | 14 | 9,063 | 86 | 10,599 |
| Customs and Excise | 18,704 | 72 | 7,305 | 28 | 26,009 |
| Cabinet Office | 774 | 35 | 1,446 | 65 | 2,220 |
| Charity Commission | 0 | 0 | 714 | 100 | 714 |
| Central Office of Information | 0 | 0 | 515 | 100 | 515 |
| CPS | 36 | 1 | 6,399 | 99 | 6,435 |
| Crown Office | 52 | 5 | 1,001 | 95 | 1,053 |
| Defence(8) | 46,075 | 40 | 69,381 | 60 | 115,457 |
| Education | 74 | 3 | 2,249 | 97 | 2,323 |
| Employment Department | 637 | 1 | 58,472 | 99 | 59,109 |
| Environment | 243 | 9 | 2,513 | 91 | 2,756 |
| FCO | 6,581 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 6,581 |
| Government Actuary's Department | 10 | 13 | 67 | 87 | 77 |
| Health | 42 | 1 | 4,633 | 99 | 4,675 |
| HMSO | 8 | 1 | 2,041 | 99 | 2,049 |
| Home Office | 728 | 2 | 47,772 | 98 | 48,500 |
| Inland Revenue(9) | 51,015 | 70 | 21,721 | 30 | 72,736 |
| Intervention Board | 20 | 2 | 1,020 | 98 | 1,040 |
| Land Registry | 2 | 1 | 8,535 | 99 | 8,537 |
| Legal Secretariat Law Officer | 21 | 75 | 7 | 25 | 28 |
| Lord Advocates Department | 20 | 91 | 2 | 9 | 22 |
| Lord Chancellor's Department | 1,091 | 9 | 11,346 | 91 | 12,437 |
| National Heritage | 309 | 28 | 793 | 72 | 1,102 |
| National Investment and Loans Office | 0 | 0 | 39 | 100 | 39 |
| National Savings | 31 | 1 | 5,569 | 99 | 5,600 |
| Northern Ireland Office | 185 | 83 | 39 | 17 | 224 |
| ODA | 227 | 20 | 882 | 80 | 1,109 |
| Office of Fair Trading | 47 | 11 | 371 | 89 | 418 |
| Ofsted | 10 | 2 | 577 | 98 | 587 |
| Office of Water Services | 0 | 0 | 156 | 100 | 156 |
| OPCS | 0 | 0 | 1,879 | 100 | 1,879 |
| Ordnance Survey | 11 | 1 | 2,053 | 99 | 2,064 |
| Paymaster Generals Office | 0 | 0 | 730 | 100 | 730 |
| Privy Council Office | 22 | 67 | 11 | 33 | 33 |
| Public Records Office | 11 | 2 | 455 | 98 | 466 |
| PSA | 0 | 0 | 458 | 100 | 458 |
| Royal Mint | 6 | 1 | 988 | 99 | 994 |
| Scottish Courts Administration | 14 | 1 | 1,001 | 99 | 1,015 |
| Scottish Office | 510 | 8 | 5,714 | 92 | 6,224 |
| Scottish Prison Service | 8 | 1 | 4,642 | 99 | 4,650 |
| Social Security | 189 | 1 | 84,070 | 99 | 84,259 |
| Trade and Industry | 1,793 | 18 | 8,319 | 82 | 10,112 |
| Transport | 336 | 2 | 15,269 | 98 | 15,605 |
| Treasury(9) | 121 | 12 | 931 | 88 | 1,052 |
| Treasury Solicitor | 45 | 9 | 458 | 91 | 503 |
| Welsh Office | 522 | 23 | 1,768 | 77 | 2,290 |
| Total | 132,066 | 25 | 392,574 | 75 | 524,640 |
(8) 1996 figures
(9) 1992 figures
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 621
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many posts he estimates will become restricted to United Kingdom nationals only in the Civil Service, due to retirement over the next five years, by department; [45112]
- (2) how many posts have become restricted to United Kingdom nationals only since the 1996 Civil Service rule change, due to retirement, by department. [45113]
Dr. David Clark:
'Public Service' posts (i.e. posts which, under the terms of the EC Treaty, member states may reserve for their own nationals) are defined by the
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 622
nature of the work undertaken in them. For this reason their number is not directly affected by changes of personnel.
Prior to the last change to the civil service nationality rules in 1996, these posts were also open to citizens of the Republic of Ireland and of Commonwealth countries. Post holders from those countries at the date of change were granted reserved rights to continue to work in such posts for the duration of their careers. No central records are available either of the number of 'public service' posts which at the time of the change in the rules were filled by non-UK nationals or of the number of 'public service' posts which are still filled by non-UK nationals.
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 623
Mr. Leigh:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the former Department of the Environment building in Marsham Street will be demolished. [44945]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
Responsibility for this matter has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to Property Advisers to the Civil Estate. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. John Locke, to write to the hon. member.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |