Clause 11
Statistics and Registration Service Bill
11:45 am
Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West, Labour)
I have some short points to make onthe amendments proposed by the hon. Members for Sevenoaks and for Twickenham. The thrust of the amendments, as I understand it from the hon. Member of Sevenoaks, is to do with the time limit on pre-release access and with the number of people to whom information is pre-released, yet as far as I can see none of his amendments directly addresses either of those issues. They simply say, to put a gloss on them, that the board will decide. At least the hon. Member for Twickenham sets a two-hour limit—which may be a little tight—in his amendment No. 84.
I have to say to my hon. Friend the Minister that I have some sympathy with the proposition that there should be a short time limit for pre-release access—much shorter than the 40.5 hours, which is now apparently to apply to market-sensitive and non-market-sensitive information. There seems to have been a convergence in that respect. The Government have shortened what they inherited in 1997 from the previous Government, but the limit is too long. Where I disagree with the official Opposition and favour the position advertised in amendment No. 84, proposed by the hon. Member for Twickenham, is on the proposals that the limit should be decided by the board. I think that that is a matter for Parliament. Certainly the time limit and possibly the number of people who have access—although that would be more difficult—should be framed in primary legislation, not decided by the board or approved by an affirmative resolution. The time limit should be a much shorter period than40.5 hours.
I ask my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to look again at pre-release. Both he and, on Second Reading, the Economic Secretary said that it would be reviewed in 12 months’ time. I hope that following that review the time limits will be shortened considerably and included in primary legislation, not left to secondary legislation or, certainly, to the board, as the amendments would have.