Fresh embarrassment as health official is suspended for 'falsifying answers to MPs'

Paul Waugh
Wednesday 06 March 2002 01:00 GMT
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The Government faced fresh embarrassment over openness to Parliament last night after a civil servant was suspended amid claims of "systematic falsification" of records of written Commons answers.

Alan Milburn, the Health Secretary, revealed swift action was taken when it was discovered ministers had been misled into believing that MPs had received replies to the queries when they had not.

An official at the Department of Health is now the subject of a disciplinary investigation, Mr Milburn said in a written parliamentary answer last night.

The revelation triggered more Tory claims of chaos and dissembling at the heart of Whitehall. Liam Fox, the shadow Health Secretary, said the new information "raises more questions than it answers" and demanded full details of the investigation.

In a clear attempt to head off a new controversy, Mr Milburn said the affair had been unearthed by an internal investigation into complaints that MPs had not received replies to their questions.

"Several Members have raised concerns about unanswered questions and the length of time it has taken for questions to be answered," Mr Milburn said. "Last week, in the course of dealing with these inquiries, evidence came to light of what appears to be systematic falsification in recording the handling of parliamentary questions in the department's parliamentary section."

Mr Milburn said questions were recorded as having been answered "when no such reply had been given to the Member or to the Official Report.

"The falsification that took place meant that both officials and ministers were wrongly led to believe that Members had received replies to their questions when they had not.

"There has been a serious failure in honouring that commitment which I deeply regret ... All possible steps will now be taken to deal with the backlog of outstanding parliamentary questions."

The Department of Health has come under fire for failing to respond to questions from MPs in recent weeks.

Mr Milburn revealed it was receiving 45 a day, double the rate of the previous session of Parliament, and 411 questions were still awaiting reply.

The permanent secretary at the department, Nigel Crisp, said that a "significant" number of questions had been delayed with some dating back to June 2001. "The investigation will establish the full facts and ensure that the necessary remedial action is taken," he said.

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