Campaign welcomes decision to shelve "improper" attempt to conceal MPs' expenses

Campaign for Freedom of Information
Press release: 21 January 2009

The government’s decision to withdraw the proposed Order excluding MPs’ expenses from the Freedom of Information Act was welcomed by the Campaign for Freedom of Information. Its director Maurice Frankel said “We are delighted that this proposal has been shelved.It was wrong in principle for MPs to try and conceal their expenses claims when all other public servants have to release theirs. It was improper for the government to try and rush the measure through without the public noticing or having time to object. MPs should not be legislating on the quiet to remove an existing right of access to information about their own expenses in the hope that no-one will notice.”

However, the Campaign suggested that it was possible that the measure would resurface in the near future in amended form. “Some MPs are clearly desperate to prevent the release of past expenses claims which are likely to have exceeded what could reasonably be justified to the public” Mr Frankel said.