16 Feb 2006 : Column 2191W
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 16 February 2006
CABINET OFFICE
Better Regulation
Mr. Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on progress on delivering the Government's better regulation agenda. [51524]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Government remain on track to deliver the radical programme of regulatory reform set out in the March 2005 Budget and the Better Regulation Action Plan published in May 2005.
The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill will make it quicker and easier to reform out-dated, unnecessary or over-complicated legislation to bring about a risk-based approach to regulation.
Crown Copyright
Peter Law: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what restrictions are placed on the use made of materials released by Government Departments under Crown copyright. [52422]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The re-use of Crown copyright material is generally encouraged. The main restrictions on re-use include not using Crown copyright for the principal purpose of advertising or promoting a particular product or service; not presenting products as if they were issued on behalf of government; and not to present information in a way that could mislead the public.
Departmental Information
Mr. Gale: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on the Department's public relations and information services in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [48965]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Cabinet Office expenditure on public relations and information services in the last five years is shown in the table
| Amount (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 1,963,878 |
| 2001–02 | 2,192,538 |
| 2002–03 | 2,164,812 |
| 2003–04 | 2,019,075 |
| 2004–05 | 2,751,622 |
and the costs for web services, employing PR agencies and for setting up phone lines as part of advertising campaigns for the year 2004–05. The Cabinet Office does not hold central records for this activity before 1 April 2004, and to provide that information would result in disproportionate costs.
Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill
Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the powers proposed to be given to Ministers under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill will enable the alteration of the rights of (a) freeminers and (b) commoners in the Forest of Dean. [50579]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill will enable the reform of legislation—including both public general Acts and local Acts—by order. It will also enable reform of the common law by order but only where this is for the purpose of implementing a recommendation of one of the UK Law Commissions. The power to make such orders is subject to a number of conditions, including that the provision made by the order does not remove any necessary protection and does not prevent any person from continuing to exercise any right or freedom he might reasonably expect to continue exercising. Orders are also subject to procedural safeguards including public consultation and scrutiny and veto by parliamentary committees. The Government currently have no plans to reform the legislation which may affect the right of freemining, or to reform any rights of common which might exist in the Forest of Dean.
Trident
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will commission a report from the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit on the Trident nuclear deterrent; and if he will make a statement. [48033]
Mr. Jim Murphy: There are no plans for the Strategy Unit to undertake any work on the Trident nuclear deterrent.
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Commonhold Tenures
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many (a) households and (b) developments have adopted commonhold tenures since the introduction of commonhold. [46948]
Ms Harman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 13 February 2006, Official Report, column 1590W.
Council Tax Valuations
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 24 January 2006, Official Report, column 1943W, on council tax valuations, if she will list the property attribute that the Land Registry provides to the Valuation Office Agency. [50952]
16 Feb 2006 : Column 2193W
Bridget Prentice: HM Land Registry provided property data to the Valuation Office Agency during 2005 for the reasons given in my answer to the hon. Member for Meriden on 24 January 2006. The data items supplied were as follows:
Land Registry does not currently provide property data to the Valuation Office Agency.
Freedom of Information
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the (a) Information Commissioner's Office and (b) others on the 100 year closure rule and the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if she will make a statement. [51124]
Ms Harman: Ministers and officials in my Department meet regularly with the Information Commissioner's Office. These meetings cover a range of issues including the operation of the Freedom of Information Act. There have been no recent discussions specifically relating to the 100 year closure period.
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that the minutes of the board meetings of external organisations operating public services on behalf of local authorities are made available for public scrutiny. [51135]
Ms Harman: Under section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the FoI Act), external organisations operating public services on behalf of local authorities can be brought within the FoI Act. This would give the public a right to request the board meeting minutes where they related to the provision of the public services.
Information relating to the provision of public services by local authority contractors is already available for public scrutiny. For example, the terms of the contract and performance of the contractor are open to inspection and inquiry by those authorities' overview and scrutiny committees. Meetings of, and documents considered by, a local authority committee are open to public access by virtue of provisions of the Local Government Act 1972. All information held by a local authority, including that provided by a contractor, is subject to the provisions of the FoI Act.
No organisations have yet been brought within the FoI Act using section 5 of the FoI Act. We will assess whether the current levels of accountability enable sufficient public scrutiny of local authority contractors before considering whether a legislative approach is appropriate.
16 Feb 2006 : Column 2194W
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the release of the (a) 1911 and (b) 1921 census data; and if she will make a statement. [51732]
Ms Harman: The implementation of the Freedom of Information Act has not altered government policy to make the decennial census returns publicly available after a period of 100 years. In line with this policy, the National Archives is developing plans to make the 1911 census available online to the widest possible audience in 2012. The 1921 census remains in the custody of the Office for National Statistics.
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what total sum has been received by her Department for the provision of information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in its first year of operation. [48474]
Ms Harman: None. My Department has not charged for information released under the Freedom of Information Act.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |