Cabinet split on whether to back private member's bill to exempt parliament and MPs' correspondence from the FOI Act

Cabinet split on whether to back private member's bill to exempt parliament and MPs' correspondence from the FOI Act

The Guardian reports that the Lord Chancellor has warned ministers that exempting MPs from freedom of information inquiries will damage public confidence in the principles of open government. A leaked letter from Lord Falconer has revealed that the cabinet is split on whether to back a private member's bill to exempt parliament and MPs' correspondence from the Freedom of Information Act. Jack Straw, Margaret Beckett and Peter Hain want to support the bill so it can be debated by parliament.

The bill was tabled by the Conservative party's former chief whip, David Maclean, who wants to exempt parliament and MPs' letters from the act. It would also exempt the Commons and the House of Lords from the act. Lord Falconer said that he will hold a ministerial meeting to discuss whether to back or block the bill.

Lord chancellor gives warning on secrecy (The Guardian, 31 January 2007)