Political

Lib Dem peer Alex Carlile appointed to controversial FoI review panel

As the BBC reported:

A review of the Freedom of Information Act will be “open-minded”, former Home Secretary Jack Straw has said.

Mr Straw introduced the act in 2000 but his place on a panel examining its work has been criticised by campaigners.

The ex-Labour MP has said inquiries about ministerial communications and the formulation of government policy should not be allowed any more…

The Campaign for Freedom of Information … says the panel does not include any advocates for transparency. It suggests changes will see more requests being refused, resulting in “bad decisions and policy mistakes” concealed.

The five-member committee also includes former Conservative Home Secretary Michael Howard, some of whose decisions in government were disclosed using the act. It will be headed by Lord Burns, the most senior civil servant in the Treasury between 1991 and 1998.
The other members are Lib Dem peer Lord Carlile, the former Independent Reviewer of terrorism legislation, and Dame Patricia Hodgson, chair of the broadcasting regulator Ofcom.

Jack Straw? Michael Howard? Reviewing freedom of information of all topics? Another sign of how things are going backwards now the Liberal Democrats are no longer in government.

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