This is the first publication of an entire gateway
review by an online news service.
Computer Weekly is publishing it because the Office of
Government Commerce, which is part of the Treasury, has argued -
incorrectly in our view - that the publication of any gateway
review would irreparably damage the process.
This OGC argument has been rejected by the
Information Commissioner and last week in a ruling by the
Information Tribunal.
We agree with the Information Tribunal that the OGC has
overstated its case against the publication of two early gateway
reviews on ID Cards. An OGC witness told the Information Tribunal
that to his knowledge no gateway review has ever been
disclosed.
The Tribunal said that should any gateway reviews be published
"all parties would be in a better position " to assess whether any
harm came to the gateway review process.
The Tribunal ordered that two initial gateway reviews on ID
Cards should be published.
It said: "Public interest in served by knowing how a project has
been implemented and is being implemented."
The gateway review we're publishing is on the
Firecontrol project which is run by the Department for
Communities and Local Government.
It is described as a £350m nationally-linked network of nine
regional control centres across England. It is part of an
investment by the Government to give fire and rescue service
resources and specialist equipment to help deal with industrial
accidents, terrorist threats and weather-related incidents.