asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will list the reasons why the Melville Report on the Central Office of Information and Departmental Information Services has been withheld from publication; if he will now authorise and instruct the same to be published; and if he will take steps to encourage more openness in Government.

As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Accrington (Mr. Davidson) on 2nd April 1974, the Government are in favour of open government. The Melville Report was, however, an internal report produced by civil servants and never intended for publication.