PMQT Written Answers – 19 February 1996

Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 19th February 1996.

PRIME MINISTER:

Advertising

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Prime Minister what is the annual cost of the Government’s advertising budget for each of the last five years.

The Prime Minister: There is no central advertising budget. This is a matter for individual Departments.

Out-of-school Activities

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy that every Government Department should produce proposals to ensure that the public and private sectors are able to encourage and, where necessary, provide a wide range of out-of-school activities for 10 to 16-year-olds; and if he will make a statement.

The Prime Minister: The public and private sectors are already free to encourage or provide out-of-school activities and schools are free to use them, or not, as they wish.

Public Records

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to review the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967 in regard to the selection of material for retention and release.

The Prime Minister: The Government have no such plans as their policy on the release or withholding of records under the provision of the Public Records Acts was reviewed in 1992-93. The results of that review were published as chapter 9 of the White Paper on open government, July 1993 (Cm 2290).

Scott Inquiry

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy towards the correction of answers given to Parliament where civil servants responsible for drafting or Ministers or former Ministers told the Scott inquiry that they were inaccurate.

The Prime Minister [holding answer 16 February 1996]: If the answers to any parliamentary questions require correction, they are corrected.