Ministers water down Freedom of Information Act

EmptyBee · Post by **EmptyBee** » 17 Oct 2006, 13:50

Oliver Heald, shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, said: "I fear the Government may be attempting to close down public scrutiny by curtailing the public's right to know with this more restrictive regime. The introduction of the Freedom of Information Act has clearly become too embarrassing for this disaster-prone Labour Government."

Well that's nice. It looks like we'll have to depend even more on leaks for anything remotely controversial.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 17 Oct 2006, 22:45

This is an anti-democratic bummer ... I use the FOI Act a LOT ... it's amazing what ethically minded civil servants will release when the law lets them!

GD · Post by GD » 18 Oct 2006, 00:03

(pardon my intrusion, but) what sort of stuff did you use it for?

Post by **clv101** » 18 Oct 2006, 07:08

I used it to get the minutes from the Joint Energy Security of Supply Group (JESS) meetings.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 18 Oct 2006, 08:51

GD wrote:(pardon my intrusion, but) what sort of stuff did you use it for?

I absolutely hate corruption ... it is an insidious creeping evil.

I can't do anything about the "big boys" with their bent defence contracts etc.

However I feel obliged to rattle the cages of anyone that I encounter in my narrow domain (internet, medical, technology, quangos, local businesses etc) who is taking liberties.

In addition to the obvious rich ones the world is full of petty thieving scumbags who nibble away at democracy etc.

If we don't watch out we could end up like Liberia where you have to bribe EVERYONE!

My family think I overdo it ... but I have been threatened by lawyers a few times when I get too close for comfort.

(I have been in quite a few law cases of various sorts in my life ... I have had a few wins, some draws due to lack of money and one failure ... coz I was wrong in that case!)

The shocker (to me at least) is that the police and other authorities take the side of the "baddies".

The FOI revelations show that I am not alone ... some of the info is provided almost gleefully ... with a sort of "Go get the scumbags! ambience.

No wonder "they" want to kill the FOI by the back door.