Releasing cabinet minutes "would not be good for government debate"

Releasing cabinet minutes "would not be good for government debate"

Cabinet minutes should be "absolutely protected" from Freedom of Information requests, the government's former security co-ordinator has told the BBC.

Sir Richard Mottram said releasing them would not be good for government debate as people would be more cautious about what was being written down.

It follows a ruling by the information commissioner that minutes relating to the Iraq War should be released.

Mottram said the minutes would not be as revelatory as some thought. The government was told to release minutes of two cabinet meetings in the days before the Iraq war by Information Commissioner Richard Thomas. It had initially rejected a Freedom of Information request.

Cabinet record 'should be secret' (BBC News, 27 February 2008)