The government is exploiting a feature in theFreedom of Information Actwhich
allows it put off indefinitely the release of internal reports on
theID cards schemeand theNHS IT programme, despite rulings that
they should be published.
Computer Weekly has learned that a High Court case over whether
the independent assessments, known as
Gateway reviews, on ID cards should be published, is unlikely
to take place until June next year. This is nearly two years after
the information commissioner ruled they should be disclosed.
If the Treasury's Office of Government Commerce loses its bid in
the High Court to keep the Gateway reviews on ID cards secret, it
could go to the House of Lords, which could further delay
publication of the reports.
Computer Weekly has also learned that Whitehall officials have
gained the approval of ministers to take a similar route on the
troubled NHS National Programme for IT.
The information commissioner ruled last month that papers on a
seminar at 10 Downing Street in February 2002, which was chaired by
then prime minister Tony Blair, should be released. The seminar was
on NHS IT and led to the launch of the NHS's National Programme for
IT.
But the Cabinet Office decided last week to appeal against the
information commissioner's ruling on the Downing Street papers. The
appeal will go before the Information Tribunal next year and
possibly to the High Court the year after.
Until any final decision is taken, which is likely to be 2009 or
2010, the Cabinet Office is entitled to keep the Downing Street
papers secret. The papers are already five years old.