AMONG all the shenanigans going on in Westminster, we must bear in mind that getting details of the behaviour of Boris Johnson and his government is being made harder.
Michael Gove has set up a unit to avoid passing on information which may reflect badly on the government, contrary to the intent of the Freedom of Information Act. I had experience of being told that the department I contacted did not need to respond as the information I had asked for was being prepared for publication, but it took around nine months before the data hit the streets.
Details of contracts, which were kept secret illegally until the courts demand their disclosure, were so heavily redacted that it couldn’t always be established who the recipient was, what goods or services were being procured or how much was being paid. In order to ensure that our public services are delivering in the best interests of society, not just a few individuals, we need to ensure that details of the decision-making process is openly available.
Pete Rowberry
Duns
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Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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