David Amess, the Conservative MP for Southend West, today challenged Shadow Defence Secretary Nick Harvey on the publishing of parliamentary documents.
Mr Amess wrote to enquire into the regularity of the daily publishing of parliamentary news on the official Parliament website, www.parliament.uk.
He asked the Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, who was representing the House of Commons Commission: “At what times on each sitting day (a) the Official Report, (b) the Summary Agenda and Order of Business, (c) Future Business, (d) Votes and Proceedings, (e) Early Day Motions and (f) Questions for Oral or Written Answer (The Questions Book) are planned to be placed on the parliamentary (i) intranet and (ii) website; on what occasions in the last three months each has been late; for what reasons in each case; and what steps the Commission is taking to ensure these items are available electronically in a timely manner.”
Mr Harvey provided a list of daily target upload times, and admitted to 18 different cases of information being uploaded late since January 2009.
Further, he responded:
“Full information on the reason in each case for late uploading is not recorded.
“Delays have occurred in part because of the need to amend links or to amend and reload files.
“Upload times are monitored to ensure timely publication on the intranet and internet and to ensure that publication difficulties are resolved.”
