Controversial bill receives second reading: MPs, Parliament and the House of Lords to be exempt from FOI requests

Controversial bill receives second reading: MPs, Parliament and the House of Lords to be exempt from FOI requests

MP David Maclean has sponsored a bill to exempt Parliament and MPs’ correspondence from the Freedom of Information Act. The bill seeks to put MPs beyond the reach of the FOI Act and in addition it proposes that Parliament as a whole should be exempted from the Act.

Mr Maclean has said that the main reason for the bill is to prevent MPs’ letters on behalf of constituents from being released to the press and public.

The bill, which aims to exempt MPs, Parliament and the House of Lords from inquiries made under the Freedom of Information Act, had its second reading on Friday 19 January 2007.

MP bids to exempt parliament from FoI law clauses (Index on Censorship, 26 January 2007)