To ask the Prime Minister (1) how meetings of the Regional Economic Council of Ministers will be accountable to (a) Parliament and (b) the public; if he will place copies of the minutes of the meetings on a Government website and in the Library; and whether the Council will be a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; (226531)

The Regional Economic Council will support my right hon. Friends the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Darling) and the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Lord Mandelson) to carry out their departmental responsibilities. Any freedom of information (FOI) issues will be dealt with by HM Treasury and BERR, which are public authorities within the FOI Act. The Cabinet Office will deal with any FOI requests relating to the National Economic Council.

Any requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act are considered on a case by case basis.