Written question asked by Lord Maude of Horsham (Conservative) on Wednesday, 14 March 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 March 2001. It was answered by Robin Cook (Labour) on Monday, 19 March 2001 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if written material was prepared for use in briefing (a) the Press and (b) officials, arising from the copy of the draft Foreign Affairs Select Committee Report on Sierra Leone handed over by the honourable Member for Dundee West; if the Deputy Head of his Department's News Department annotated a version of the copy of the draft Foreign Affairs Select Committee Report on Sierra Leone handed over by the honourable Member for Dundee West; if (a) the Permanent Under-Secretary and (b) the Head of his Department's News Department, saw written briefing material for use in briefing (i) the Press and (ii) officials, arising from the copy of the draft Foreign Affairs Select Committee Reoprt on Sierra Leone handed over by the honourable Member for Dundee West; if (a) the Permanent Under-Secretary at his Department and (b) the Head of his Department's News Department, (c) the Deputy Head of his Department's News Department and (d) the Head of his Department's Africa Department (Equatorial) were briefed on the contents of the draft Foreign Affairs Select Committee Report on Sierra Leone handed over by the honourable Member for Dundee West. - Ref to 364 c775W.

Answer: Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if written material was prepared for use in briefing (a) the Press and (b) officials, arising from the copy of the draft Foreign Affairs Select Committee report on Sierra Leone handed over by the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross); [154333] (2) if the Deputy Head of his Department's News Department annotated a version of the copy of the draft Foreign Affairs Select Committee report on Sierra Leone handed over by the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross); [154325] (3) if (a) the Permanent Under-Secretary and (b) the Head of his Department's News Department saw written briefing material for use in briefing (i) the Press and (ii) officials, arising from the copy of the draft Foreign Affairs Select Committee Report on Sierra Leone handed over by the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross); [154326] (4) if (a) the Permanent Under-Secretary at his Department and (b) the Head of his Department's News Department, (c) the Deputy Head of his Department's News Department and (d) the Head of his Department's Africa Department (Equatorial) were briefed on the contents of the draft Foreign Affairs Select Committee report on Sierra Leone handed over by the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross). [154327] Mr. Robin Cook: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 16 March 2001, Official Report, column 775W.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 365 c69W; 154333;154325;154326;154327
Session: 2000-01
Subjects: Disclosure of information Civil servants Government departments Public companies Media Telephones Sierra Leone Foreign Affairs Committee Select Committee reports Press releases
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk