The Conservatives have now applied under the Freedom of Information Act to see the correspondence between Joan Ryan, junior Minister at the Home Office and ACPO about the sex offenders who have committed offences abroad but haven't been added to Home Office records. I have just seen two clips of Joan Ryan on Sky News denying absolutely that Ministers knew about this matter until Tuesday. She had all the attributes of a rabbit staring into headlights.
I can see no way that this FOI request can be refused as not being in the public interest.
10 comments:
Yay !!
What is the betting that 'Freedom of Information' will be another of those promises, like 'purer than pure' or an 'ethical foreign policy' to become the subject of a Nulabour 'U-turn' when it becomes too inconveniently costly..
Bring back Beverley Hughes!!!
On second thoughts. . . .
Nah, it will never be released, as Anonymous 11:16 has pointed out, the cost will be too disproportionate for release.
Freedon of Information = Freedom to Cover Up on grounds of cost.
Labour now, are so brazenly arrogant, that they will just do as they please. I like David Cameron, I believe him to be sincere and decent, he is going to have to pick up the pieces when this dishonest, inept shower have been removed from office. However, he now needs to lay into Labour at every opportunity
and give the British people what we are crying out for, opposition to a corrupt regime and real leadership.
So it's gloves on (or off?, not sure!!) now David, your country needs you!
On issues of public saftey I think it is right that the leader of the opposition makes a public statement of support for any shadow Home Secretary.
There is an exemption in the act for information that is going to be published anyway. John Reid has already said that the letters may be published after the report.
Labours goal will be to kick the letters into the long grass, so that they don't keep the pressure on, until after the report, which will no doubt show nobody acted unreasonably... don't they all?
Then with the issue dead the letters can safely be revealed.
So not sure if FOIA will help..
It will be easy for them to refuse :
"correspondence between an official and the minister" disclosure of which could lead to (bulls*** on)the harming of the relationship between officails and the minister leading to the proper advice being withheld (bulls*** off).
As ACPO itself is not covered by the FOI act this may help the Government decline the request made of themselves
FOI applications take time. Meanwhile some disaffected civil servant may leak the relevant correspondence. There's a lot of them about now, and they don't like being dumped on by ministers. How many sworn enemies do you suppose John Reid now has, in his own Department?
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