Whitehall fights ID costs demand
According to the BBC:
The government is battling to ensure that estimates of the benefits and risks of identity cards remain secret.
The freedom of information watchdog ordered the Department of Work and Pensions to publish its findings about how the cards could fight ID fraud.
Now the department has decided to appeal against the information commissioner’s ruling.
The Lib Dems say it is disappointing the government is still trying to “cover up the facts about ID cards”.
Home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: “The public has a right to know if the billions of pounds the government is committing to this massive project will be money well spent.
“It is a measure of the government’s failure to justify ID cards that during the passage of the bill they never once released a full estimate of its costs and impact.”
The government’s appeal will be heard by the Information Tribunal but the process can take several months.
The information commissioner’s judgement against which the DWP is appealing is here (64 KB PDF).
July 5th, 2006 at 20:56
Why did we expect they (the govt) would ever do anything else. They will string it out as long as they can.
July 6th, 2006 at 11:29
And they are the ones who always tell us “only those with something to hide have something to fear”.
They demand openness from the people who elect them yet do not make themselves open to public scrutiny.
Damn those hypocrites. Who have they been lunching with? They are selling us down the river.