Written question asked by Peter Ainsworth (Conservative) on Thursday, 4 March 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 9 March 1999. It was answered by Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 March 1999 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Dept for Culture Media and Sport

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he or his Ministers have received any advance copy, draft or briefing upon the contents of any report of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee prior to its due publication date and time; and if he will make a statement. - Inc ref to 326 c531W, 1 March 1999, and Commons Standing Order 116.

Answer: Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he or his Ministers have received any advance copy, draft or briefing upon the contents of any report of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee prior to its due publication date and time; and if he will make a statement. [75775] Mr. Chris Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire) on 1 March 1999, Official Report, column 531. There have no instances of members of select committees giving me or my Ministerial colleagues drafts of select committee reports, or of parts of reports including their conclusions, before publication. Nor, to the best of my knowledge, have there been any occasions on which members of select committees have given such material to civil servants or special advisers in my Department. This excludes embargoed copies of reports issued under House of Commons Standing Order 116.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 75775; 327 c195W
Session: 1998-99
Subjects: Disclosure of information Documents Ministers Select committees Select Committee reports Culture, Media and Sport Committee