Labour Policy Watch: Freedom of Information and Privacy

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	Under the Tories, there were several high-profile instances of important information being suppressed for political reasons, e.g. over BSE or arms to Iraq. After the latter case, they did adopt an openness code and agree to suppress whole classes of documents only if their release could cause "real harm". Our privacy was invaded both officially (phone-tapping, etc.) and by an increasingly prurient press, but plans for identity (ID) cards were dropped.
	Labour policy was:
	1	A Freedom of Information (FoI) Act which would:
		Exempt only tightly defined classes of information, e.g. on defence or personal privacy, and only if release would cause substantial harm
		Leave the final decision to an Information Commissioner
	2	That official statistics should be scrutinised by an independent commission
	3	On privacy?
	4	To oppose ID cards (?)
	In fact under New Labour:
	1	A strong FoI White Paper was so completely rewritten that:
		There are large blanket exemptions including advice and even information used in formulating government policy, data from investigations by police, safety authorities, etc. and information which an authority believes would "prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs" - and new exemptions can be added when needed
		A disclosure order by the commissioner can be vetoed by ministers. In fact the commissioner could break the law by revealing information the public were entitled to under the Act!
	2	The statistics commission has been set up though it cannot check the Retail Price Index used to calculate inflation and so levels of benefits etc.
	3	Rates of phone tapping and letter opening have reached new records, while the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act gave wide powers to monitor private e-mails. Plans to store phone and e-mail records would break human rights laws according to the Information Commissioner
	4	ID cards are planned backed by a national database holding a wide range of personal information and available to all government departments but not to the individual concerned
	In addition:
		The FoI Act removes some gains in the Tories openness code, e.g. the duty to publish governments internal manuals of guidance and to give reasons for decisions
		Ireland accuses Britain of withholding information on its MOX plant at Sellafield
		A European Parliament report concluded that the Echelon spying system intercepts commercial and private communications, and that British involvement breaks EU law
		DNA profiles can be kept for anyone arrested, even if not charged, and will be required from anyone applying for a passport
		The Information Commissioner warns that we may be "sleepwalking into a surveillance society"
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