APPENDIX 43
Memorandum by the Privy Council Office
INNOVATIONS IN
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The Privy Council Office is a Government secretariat,
and its sphere of operations does not bring it into direct contact
with the public on issues of policy. It has no programmes of its
own. The Privy Council itself does, of course, cover a great many
policy issues, and a number of policy Orders in Council are made
at its regular meetings; but the policy (and any consultation
that is undertaken) is the responsibility of the Departments that
sponsor the Orders.
I was the Cabinet Minister responsible for driving
the UK's preparations on the Millennium Bug—supported by
a team in the Cabinet Office rather than the Privy Council Office,
one aspect of this programme was monthly independent tracking
research of public perceptions of the issue—the Government's
public information campaign, including three UK-wide booklets,
responded to and was adapted according to the findings of that
research (one of which was that members of the public were expecting
information to be provided to them by the Government). The results
of the research were also made available to the general public
via written answers to Parliamentary Questions.
I do not think, therefore, that this Department
can make a major contribution to the Committee's inquiry, but
I and my officials would be very happy to provide further information
about our activities if it would be helpful.
Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP
19 April 2000
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