To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many draft concordats his Department is currently preparing; who they are intended to be with; and what are the issues and matters covered by them. [33839]

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Thomas) on 27 February 1998, Official Report, column 393. I anticipate that the National Assembly for Wales will need concordats with a number of Ministerial and non-ministerial departments, although it is too early to say how many.Drafting of the concordats will take some months but, subject to the restrictions in the Government's White Paper on Freedom of Information, the drafts will be published as soon as they are finalised.