Freedom of Information Act
There is a ministerial veto which undermines the Act. This has been used only twice: the first time to stop publication of minutes of cabinet meetings relating to the invasion of Iraq[9] and the second to stop publication of cabinet meetings relating to discussions regarding devolution.[10]
Other criticism:
Companies owned by one public authority are generally subject to the Act but companies owned by two or more public authorities are not covered[11]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-11"[12]
[edit] Facts revealed by the act
Facts that have been brought to light by this Act include:
The Government agreed to a £1.5 million bailout of one of the most troubled schools in its flagship academies programme ten days before the 2005 general election[13]
Ministers and MPs claimed thousands of pounds on taxis as part of £5.9 million in expenses for travel[13]
Foreign diplomats – who have diplomatic immunity – were accused of rapes, sexual assaults, child abuse and murders while working in Britain[13]
Seventy-four police officers serving with the Metropolitan Police have criminal records[13]
A clandestine British torture programme existed in post-war Germany, “reminiscent of the concentration camps”[13]
The UK supported the Israeli nuclear weapons program, by selling Israel 20 tonnes of heavy water in 1958.[14]
The NHS has made available Implanon implants to girls from the age of 13 in an attempt to cut teenage pregnancies[13]
[edit] Amendment bill
Main article: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill
The Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill was a private member 's bill introduced to the British House of Commons in 2007 which failed to become law. Conservative MP David Maclean introduced the bill to ensure that MPs ' correspondence was exempt from freedom of information laws. The then leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Menzies Campbell, said there should not "be one law for MPs and a different law for everyone else" and that it looked like "Parliament has
Other criticism:
Companies owned by one public authority are generally subject to the Act but companies owned by two or more public authorities are not covered[11]HYPERLINK \l "cite_note-11"[12]
[edit] Facts revealed by the act
Facts that have been brought to light by this Act include:
The Government agreed to a £1.5 million bailout of one of the most troubled schools in its flagship academies programme ten days before the 2005 general election[13]
Ministers and MPs claimed thousands of pounds on taxis as part of £5.9 million in expenses for travel[13]
Foreign diplomats – who have diplomatic immunity – were accused of rapes, sexual assaults, child abuse and murders while working in Britain[13]
Seventy-four police officers serving with the Metropolitan Police have criminal records[13]
A clandestine British torture programme existed in post-war Germany, “reminiscent of the concentration camps”[13]
The UK supported the Israeli nuclear weapons program, by selling Israel 20 tonnes of heavy water in 1958.[14]
The NHS has made available Implanon implants to girls from the age of 13 in an attempt to cut teenage pregnancies[13]
[edit] Amendment bill
Main article: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill
The Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill was a private member 's bill introduced to the British House of Commons in 2007 which failed to become law. Conservative MP David Maclean introduced the bill to ensure that MPs ' correspondence was exempt from freedom of information laws. The then leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Menzies Campbell, said there should not "be one law for MPs and a different law for everyone else" and that it looked like "Parliament has
References: [edit] Further reading The Law of Freedom of Information (MacDonald, Jones et al.: OUP 2003) Information Rights (Coppel at al.: Sweet and Maxwell 2004) Your Right To Know (Brooke, H.: Pluto Press 2006) “A year of openness in government?” by Steve Wood (Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University) "Your right to know" (BBC, 16 December 2004) the Kingdom of Great Britain Acts of the Parliament of England to 1601 · 1603–1641 · Interregnum (1642–1660) · 1660–1699 · 1700–1706