Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the government’s response to the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Publications on the distribution of the parliamentary papers series. I seek leave to incorporate the document in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The document read as follows—

Government Response by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Finance and Administration to the Joint Committee on Publications Report on the Distribution of the Parliamentary Papers Series

Response to the recommendations

Recommendation No. 7

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government Information Management Office monitor agency compliance with the Library Deposit and Free Issue Schemes and provide a report, detailing defaulting agencies, to Parliament by no later than 30 June the following year.

AGIMO Response: Not Supported

It is the responsibility of each government agency, to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the Library Deposit and Free Issue Schemes (LDS).

Due to the devolved nature of Australian Government publishing, it is not feasible to know what agencies are publishing and what publications are not lodged with libraries via the LDS.

AGIMO will continue to build awareness of the LDS and remind agencies of their obligations. AGIMO will do this through direct communication with publishing agencies and the development of better practice guidance on publishing.

Recommendation No. 8

The Committee recommends that the Tabling Officer of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet write to each recipient of the internal Parliament House document distribution to determine their stock requirements.

PM&C Response: Supported

The government notes that the Tabling Officer already surveys and updates on a regular basis copy requirements of recipients of documents distributed within Parliament House, and agrees that the current practice be continued.

Recommendation No. 10

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government Information Management Office, together with the Department of the House of Representatives and the Department of the Senate, investigate methods to reduce the duplication between the Library Deposit and Free Issue Schemes and the Parliamentary Papers Series. A report of their findings is to be supplied to the Committee within six months of the tabling of this report, and any changes implemented within a further six months.

AGIMO Response: Supported with Qualifications

AGIMO will work with the Department of the House of Representatives and the Department of the Senate to investigate methods of reducing duplication between the LDS & Parliamentary Paper Series (PPS).

Recommendation No. 13

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government Information Management Office continue to work with agencies to ensure that all government documents are made available online.

AGIMO Response: Supported with Qualifications

AGIMO will continue to work with agencies to help ensure that Australian Government public accountability publications are made available online in accord with Government policy.

Recommendation No. 14

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government Information Management Office take steps to ensure that documents presented to Parliament are permanently available online, including encouraging the use of persistent identifiers to online information.

AGIMO Response: Not Supported

Responsibility for ensuring that documents presented to Parliament are permanently available online rests with the Department of the House of Representatives and the Department of the Senate.

AGIMO considers that the creation of a digital repository would best meet this recommendation (refer to response to Recommendation 19).

Recommendation No. 16

The Committee recommends that agencies provide a website link, for all documents to be presented to Parliament, to the Tabling Officer of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. This link is to be included in the daily list of documents scheduled for presentation to Parliament, which is circulated to Members and Senators.

PM&C Response: Not Supported

For some website implementations, it is not possible in all cases to allocate a web address to documents until they are ready to be posted on the Internet. The government therefore does not support this recommendation as it would be inappropriate to provide a website link to documents that are under embargo.

Recommendation No. 19

The Committee recommends that the Department of the House of Representatives and the Department of the Senate, in consultation with the Australian Government Information Management Office and other stakeholders, investigate and implement the development of an online digital repository for the Parliamentary Papers Series.

AGIMO Response: Supported with Qualifications

Responsibility for ensuring that documents presented to Parliament are permanently available online rests with the Department of the House of Representatives and the Department of the Senate.

AGIMO will liaise with other stakeholders (the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, the Attorney-General’s Department, the Department of the House of Representatives and the Department of the Senate) in investigating the development of an online digital repository that will include the PPS.