Lib Dem MPs block attack on Freedom of Information Act

5.45.17pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 20th Apr 2007

Liberal Democrat MPs have effectively sunk a bill which would exempt Members of Parliament from complying with the Freedom of Information Act. Norman Baker and Simon Hughes, with a handful of MPs from other parties, managed to talk out the planned bill by making sure the debate in the House of Commons continued past its deadline.

The private member's bill was proposed by Tory former chief whip David Maclean. It would block publication of information such as MPs travel expenses. The bill now has virtually no chance of becoming law unless the government decides to support it.

Supporters of the bill claimed that it would protect a constituent's correspondence with their MP from being published if there was a Freedom of Information Act request. Norman Baker, Lib Dem MP for Lewes, pointed out that a constituent's inquiry was already covered by the Data Protection Act. "There is no question that this already exists as a proper means of protecting constituents," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Of the Bill he said: "This is not about constituents' correspondence, this is about exempting MPs from scrutiny in the House of Commons on how, for example, we get our expenses. It's about covering up and it shows, I'm afraid, that the Freedom of Information Act culture that we hoped was becoming established in this country, is not actually in the bloodstream yet."