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GS(NP) 91: Letter to the Chairman of the Committee from Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office
Thank you for your letter of 28 July regarding the publication of the Road to 2010. Like the Foreign Secretary, whose reply I have seen, I am pleased that you welcome this substantive piece of work involving the Cabinet Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Energy and Climate Change.
The paper was made available in the vote offices as per the usual white paper publication process and was announced in a Written Ministerial Statement by the Prime Minister on the day of the publication.
I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that my colleagues and I will keep Parliament informed of progress on Road to 2010 proposals in the run up to the review conference next year. The paper itself sets out a number of engagement opportunities that will occur before the review conference in May.
I am copying this letter to the Foreign Secretary.
1 September 2009
Letter from the Chairman of the Committee to Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office
Road to 2010
Thank you for your letter of 1 September, in reply to my letter of 28 July.
As you will recall, my original letter raised concerns about the Government's failure to consult the Foreign Affairs Committee in advance of publication of its Road to 2010 paper nor give us any advance indication of its publication, despite that fact that we had recently published a major report on issues of non-proliferation (which the Government welcomed) and asked to be kept informed of developments.
I note that, in his reply to my letter to him, also of 28 July, the Foreign Secretary commented "I will leave Tessa to respond to your concerns about the handling of the paper". That being the case, I have to register my unhappiness that your only response to the concerns expressed on behalf of the Committee was to state that:
"The paper was made available in the vote offices as per the usual white paper publication process and was announced in a Written Ministerial Statement by the Prime Minister on the day of publication."
It appears to me that this is a wholly inadequate response to my letter, and contrasts sharply with the Foreign Secretary's assurance that "I am keen to ensure that we continue to remain closely engaged with you, the Committee and with other interested Parliamentarians as we prepare for the NPT Review Conference next May".
I will be raising this matter within the Liaison Committee after the return of the House as I believe that your response raises issues of principle concerning the Government's relationship with select committees.
I am copying this letter to the Foreign Secretary.
16 September 2009 |