LETTER : Off the Internet

Sir: Far from following the US and Australian "open government" leads in putting parliamentary records (Hansard, Standing and Select Committee reports) and legislation (Bills, White Papers etc) on the Internet, it appears from Monday night's debate in the Commons that this summer's privatisation of HMSO will lock out the possibility of putting such information on the net.

It is already available immediately to MPs, peers and others at the Palace of Westminster on the internal Parliamentary Data and Video Network. Copying it to the Internet for use by the electorate, schools etc would cost practically nothing.

Simon Gardner

Leighton Buzzard,

Bedfordshire