Why MPs are on a hiding to nothing
Philip Johnston, writing in the Daily Telegraph, sees a link between the Government’s attitude to the Information Commissioner and his recent FoI rulings related to ID cards:
… Mr Thomas has been issuing rulings that the Government does not like. He has, for instance, insisted that it should cough up the so-called Gateway documents about ID cards. These are the strategy papers setting out the long-term value-for-money predictions which, given that the official costs to the Home Office alone have risen by £840 million in six months, are precisely the sort of documents that the FoI Act was designed to prise from the Government’s reluctant grasp.
Mr Thomas thought so, too, and a few months ago ruled against the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which had fought tooth and nail for two years to prevent their release. Even then, the OGC refused to part with them and its lawyers accused the commissioner of “not living in the real world”.
Earlier this month, his decision was upheld by an independent tribunal, which agreed it was in the public interest for the information to be disclosed. The Government has until Wednesday to do so but there is no certainty that it will. It may go to court to try to stop the release.
