Amendments to the FOI - bad news

I wrote last week (Annoyance about FOI Changes) about the then-forthcoming debate in the House of Commons on Friday, 18 May 2007, about the proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for England & Wales and Northern Ireland.

You can read the whole debate on the They Work For You website in a convenient way. A lot of MPs spoke and a lack of understanding of both the FOIA and the Data Protection Act 1998 is readily apparent. There were are few sensible words spoken. For example, Mark Fisher (Stoke-on-Trent Central, Labour) said:

"The hon. Gentleman has accepted the point that my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) made about the Library. Is he also aware that we have a very good Information Commissioner, Mr. Richard Thomas, who has not had a single complaint or query from any Member of Parliament? Indeed, he does not recognise the issue as a problem. If he does not—and he probably knows more about freedom of information and data protection than anybody else in the country—and his office has not been bombarded with complaints, what on earth is the Bill about? It is a Bill to solve a problem that does not exist. If the right hon. Gentleman who introduced the Bill had had problems, he would presumably have taken them to the Information Commissioner, but he has never done so."

Whilst the range of amendments considered were, in my view, all messy the Bill passed its third reading. A new revised draft is not yet available but the amends, as I understand them, have the following effects: the House of Commons and the House of Lords will not be covered by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 at all.

I'll update further once the revised draft bill is published. Whilst, of course, it still has further procedure to go through, its looking very likely that this Bill will become law. Given that the Freedom of Information regime is, broadly, about the public interest in the good government of this country, it is disgusting that a Bill cutting out the very heart of the legislature from its effects could make it through. Parliament does nothing to improve its public perception by seeking removing itself from public scrutiny.

For some other comment on Friday's farce, have a look at the Open Secrets piece.

Comments

[Andrew Mills]

Of our Local MPs who bothered to vote, these voted in favour of the new Bill:
* Graham Allen for Nottingham North
* John Heppell for Nottingham East
* Bob Laxton for Derby North

The only one who voted against was Peter Soulsby of Leicester South