£140,000 of public money has been spent so far  trying to keep reviews of the Government’s plans for ID cards a secret.

The Office of Government Commerce has spent the money on a four-year legal battle to avoid releasing the relevant “Gateway reviews” (stage-by-stage assessments of Government projects) .

The Information Tribunal, which hears appeals against Freedom of Information rulings, ordered ministers last week to publish two reviews into the progress of the ID cards scheme within 28 days.

However, the OGC is not likely to do so readily, and costs could rise even higher, as Computer Weekly reports:

 “Its punctilious arguments for continued secrecy have the full backing of ministers. The OGC has so far:
 -Rejected a freedom of information request for the two gateway reviews to be published
- Rejected an appeal by the FOI applicant to publish the two reviews
- Appealed against a ruling of the Information Commissioner that the reviews be published
- Appealed against a ruling by the Information Tribunal that the reviews be published.

“The OGC instructed Jonathan Swift, one of the two most senior barristers who act for the government in civil law matters, to argue in the High Court for the reviews to be kept secret.

“But the OGC is likely to appeal the Tribunal’s decision, which means it can continue to keep the reviews secret.

“If the OGC were to lose any High Court appeal, it could take the case to the Law Lords. If it lost that too, ministers could veto to stop the reviews being published.

“The two gateway “zero” reviews in question are already more than five years old. They were assessments of the ID cards scheme in June 2003 and January 2004, and gave a view on the feasibility of the ID cards scheme long before the Identity Cards Bill received royal assent in March 2006.”

Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman, said:

“The government is increasingly realising that its ID card scheme is a laminated poll tax with all the same toxic ability to make it unpopular.

“Ministers would win more plaudits if they did not drag their feet on their legal obligations.”  (BBC)

 

You can sign the Liberal Democrats’ petition against ID cards here.