To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that other Departments comply with guidance published by his Department in the Green Book (a) on the production and use made of business cases and related matters, (b) that such business cases are normally published in full at the time of the announcement of a public sector spending proposal to which they relate and (c) that where there is a statutory justification for an exemption to disclosure of any part of a business case, such justification will be published contemporaneously with such an announcement.

The Green Book sets out that all new policies, programmes and projects, whether revenue, capital or regulatory, should be subject to comprehensive but proportionate assessment, wherever it is practicable, so as best to promote the public interest. Training and accreditation in the use of Green Book methodology is being extended across the public sector through the Better Business Cases programme, which aims to embed use of the best-practice five-case model in public service culture. In general it is not the Government’s policy to publish business cases, although exceptions are made when the Government considers publication to be of exceptional public interest.