Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what instructions and guidance his Department has given to other Government departments on the destruction of paper and electronic records potentially relevant to the Independent Panel inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse; and whether that guidance is in line with the provisions of the Inquiries Act 2005 on the production of evidence.
Answered by Lord Maude of Horsham
The Cabinet Office has in place a process for reviewing its files scheduled for destruction, and has a moratorium in place on the destruction of potentially relevant files. My officials have contacted Departmental Records Officers’ to ensure that they have similar processes in place.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have died as a result of (a) malignant melanoma and (b) other forms of skin cancer in England and Wales in the last five years.
Answered by Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether all requests for information on files covered by the Official Secrets Act 1989 receive a standard response or are considered on a case by case basis.
Answered by Lord Maude of Horsham
Neither HMG files nor information generally is classified under the Official Secrets Act; rather the Act creates an offence for the unauthorised disclosure of information that is defined as being damaging under it. All requests for information are considered under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any files on child abuse have been passed to his Department by (a) other parts of the Government or (b) hon. Members; and in what year such files were so passed.
Answered by Lord Maude of Horsham
The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
The Cabinet Office has no record of having been passed any files on child abuse by another department or honourable members.