MPs criticise Tony Blair for failing to co-operate with inquiry:
Commons justice select committee want to question Blair in person over Freedom of Information Act
Tony Blair has been sharply criticised by MPs for his failure to co-operate with their parliamentary inquiry into the effectiveness of the Freedom of Information Act.
The former Labour prime minister refused to respond to the Commons justice select committee which wanted to question Blair on how he could describe himself in his autobiography as a "nincompoop" for introducing the legislation which he now regarded as "antithetical to sensible government".
The MPs' report published on Wednesday says that they tried to question Blair on his opinions "but he refused to defend his views before us in person and did not submit answers to our written questions by the time this report was prepared. We deplore Mr Blair's failure to co-operate with a committee of the House, despite being given every opportunity to attend at a time convenient to him."
The former prime minister has now written to the committee apologising for the delay in submitting his evidence, but only after a Guardian report that the committee was going to censure him for failing to co-operate.
The committee chairman, Sir Alan Beith, said: "When we sought to question Mr Blair on his change of opinion he refused to defend his views before us and submitted answers to our written questions only after our report was agreed, and after a press report had appeared, suggesting we might criticise his failure to give evidence."
The letter from Blair, published on Wednesday alongside the report, insists that legislation was a mistake and explains why he stands by the "somewhat colourful explanation of my views in my biography".
Blair said that the original idea of FOI legislation was to make available the facts behind the decisions, not the confidential policy debate around them. He said he made the commitment to introducing freedom of information legislation in opposition, but that was "before the experience of government".
"I am not at all sure that the act has really achieved its goal of greater transparency. It is essentially used by the media to try to get information that the political system believes should be kept confidential, precisely because it concerns meetings and discussions that are very sensitive," said Blair.
But the all-party committee decisively reject his argument, and that made to them by the former Labour cabinet minister, Jack Straw, and ex-cabinet secretary, Gus O'Donnell, that the legislation meant there was no longer a "safe space" for ministers and civil servants to have a frank discussion of policy.
Beith said the legislation had enhanced Britain's democratic system and made public bodies more open, accountable and transparent: "It has been a success and we do not wish to diminish its intended scope or its effectiveness," said Sir Alan.
"The act was never intended to prevent, limit, or stop the recording of policy discussions in Cabinet or at the highest levels of government, and we believe that its existing provisions, properly used, are sufficient to maintain the 'safe space' for such discussions. These provisions need to be more widely understood within the public service. They include, where appropriate, the use of the ministerial veto."
The justice select committee also rejects moves to introduce fees to cover the costs of FOI requests, saying the legislation also creates savings when the inappropriate use of public funds is uncovered, or where the fear of disclosure prevents the waste of public money.
The MPs say that charging for FOI requests would deter those with a strong public interest and fees that were only levied on commercial organisations or the media would be easily circumvented.
Tony Blair has been sharply criticised by MPs for his failure to co-operate with their parliamentary inquiry into the effectiveness of the Freedom of Information Act.
The former Labour prime minister refused to respond to the Commons justice select committee which wanted to question Blair on how he could describe himself in his autobiography as a "nincompoop" for introducing the legislation which he now regarded as "antithetical to sensible government".
The MPs' report published on Wednesday says that they tried to question Blair on his opinions "but he refused to defend his views before us in person and did not submit answers to our written questions by the time this report was prepared. We deplore Mr Blair's failure to co-operate with a committee of the House, despite being given every opportunity to attend at a time convenient to him."
The former prime minister has now written to the committee apologising for the delay in submitting his evidence, but only after a Guardian report that the committee was going to censure him for failing to co-operate.
The committee chairman, Sir Alan Beith, said: "When we sought to question Mr Blair on his change of opinion he refused to defend his views before us and submitted answers to our written questions only after our report was agreed, and after a press report had appeared, suggesting we might criticise his failure to give evidence."
The letter from Blair, published on Wednesday alongside the report, insists that legislation was a mistake and explains why he stands by the "somewhat colourful explanation of my views in my biography".
Blair said that the original idea of FOI legislation was to make available the facts behind the decisions, not the confidential policy debate around them. He said he made the commitment to introducing freedom of information legislation in opposition, but that was "before the experience of government".
"I am not at all sure that the act has really achieved its goal of greater transparency. It is essentially used by the media to try to get information that the political system believes should be kept confidential, precisely because it concerns meetings and discussions that are very sensitive," said Blair.
But the all-party committee decisively reject his argument, and that made to them by the former Labour cabinet minister, Jack Straw, and ex-cabinet secretary, Gus O'Donnell, that the legislation meant there was no longer a "safe space" for ministers and civil servants to have a frank discussion of policy.
Beith said the legislation had enhanced Britain's democratic system and made public bodies more open, accountable and transparent: "It has been a success and we do not wish to diminish its intended scope or its effectiveness," said Sir Alan.
"The act was never intended to prevent, limit, or stop the recording of policy discussions in Cabinet or at the highest levels of government, and we believe that its existing provisions, properly used, are sufficient to maintain the 'safe space' for such discussions. These provisions need to be more widely understood within the public service. They include, where appropriate, the use of the ministerial veto."
The justice select committee also rejects moves to introduce fees to cover the costs of FOI requests, saying the legislation also creates savings when the inappropriate use of public funds is uncovered, or where the fear of disclosure prevents the waste of public money.
The MPs say that charging for FOI requests would deter those with a strong public interest and fees that were only levied on commercial organisations or the media would be easily circumvented.
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