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Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Beith MPLiberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick Upon TweedWorking for you and the Berwick upon Tweed Constituency all year roundin Northumberland and in Westminster |
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MP Beith slams Government's secrecy on devolution
December 10, 2009 3:45 PM
Sir Alan Beith has condemned the Government for refusing to publish records of crucial discussions on elected regional government for the north east and other English regions, along with devolution for Scotland and Wales.
The Government move follows an order from the Information Commissioner for the publication of cabinet committee minutes from 1997 shortly after Labour came to power.
Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor has vetoed the publication, on the grounds that this would undermine the practice of collective responsibility and cabinet government saying that
"The public interest favours the continued nondisclosure of all the information concerned."
Sir Alan Beith raised a Point or Order in the House of Commons and later said
"Obviously there must be some seriously embarrassing material about the attitude of some Labour Ministers, including Tony Blair, to devolution for Scotland, Wales and the English regions.
"But these were such important decisions that after more than a decade we are entitled to know the basis on which they were made."
The only other time the veto has been used to prevent publication of cabinet committee records was in respect of discussions on the Iraq war.
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