Newspaper of the Campaign for Freedom of Information 50p 50p NL The,Official 5eClecrets Act 191 • . 7S 'years as are .enough It was passed by the House of $i .•••. .. •" . u ,m E · ., · .', stage in 30 minutes. .Ihird, because it hal Commons in only half an hour. In 1972 the Report of a pressive effect on WI It has since been described as special committee set up to and other public insti "a mess" by an official committee look into Section Two under generally, reinforcing til of enquiry, been condemned by the chairmanship of Lord tion ofsecrecy,and act politicians ofall Parties, and been Franks reported 'm found block to a more open: subject to demands for its repeal Section 1Wo a mess. Its scopeis countable approach. "lock, stock, and barrel" from enormously wide. Any law All three opposition Lord Scarman and other which impinges on the are now committed to respected jurists. freedom of information in a ofSection Two. Formei The present Attorney General democracy should be much civil servants who have and the recent Home Secretary, more tightly drawn." for its repeal inclue whilst in Opposition, severely The Franks Committee was . former Heads ofthe a criticised it and called for its set up after (although not only vice, Lord Croham a replacement. because of) the case involving Douglas Wass, and a Yetover the past six years it has Jonathan Aitken, then a jour­ Permanent Secretar been used more than ever before, nalist, who obtained and Patrick Nairne. The Fir and this year it is 75 years' old. published in THE SUNDAY sion Association of Ci It is, of course, the Official TELEGRAPH a confidential vants, together. with Secrets Act, and subject of most document to do with the civil other Civil Service criticism is its Section 'Iwo, war in Nigeria. The Unions, also seek its re Th mark the anniversary, the Ralph Nader (above), the American citizenactivist, is hen activist, is honoured newspaper, its editor, Aitken, Campaign for Freedom of Infor­ for his 'international contribution to freedom ofinfonedom ofinformation' and another journalist were mation is launching a special prosecuted under Section Two campaign for repeal of Section in the 1985 Freedom ofInformation awards. ards, and acquitted. Mr Justice Accesst~ '!\vo. It includes: The awards are being presented in mid.January by tht.January by the Leader Caulfield commented in his • The introduction under the of the Opposition, the Rt Hon NeiI.Kinnock, beforWmock, before an au­ summing up that it was personal Ten Minute Rule procedure of dience of politicians, media personalities, and represent, and representatives of perhaps time the Act was a short Bill repealing Section vohintary organisations. "pensioned off'. Files fig" Two. The award for the 'individual who did most in 1985tomost in 1985to further There have been subse­ • The circulation of an Early freedom of information' goes to Robin Squire MP. Squire MP. .quently a number of other continUE Day Motion in the House of Fulldetails and otherawards - page6. controversial cases, including Commons to demonstratethe the so-called ABC trial involv­ widespread parliamentary addressed by Roy Hattersley and others. thers. ing three defendants, one of As none of the Campai support for such action. (Deputy Leader ofthe Labour Presented to the Hsented to the House of whom was the journalistDun­ Freedom of Informa •A 75th "birthday" Rally in the Party), David Steel (on behalf Commons as an emnons as an emergency can Campbell. Although they Parliamentary Supporter: Friends Meeting House in of The Alliance), Jonathan action in 1911, it achiew in 1911, it achieved all its were convicted (for discussing in the top six in the Bal London on January 14th to be Aitken (Conservative MP), readings and the COIgS and the committee intelligence monitoring of in­ Private Members Bil ternational radio communica­ November, the Acce tions by the then-secret Personal Files Bill is to troduced first in the Ho Cheltenham GCHQ) they Lords. were not punished. The main The prime mover willb The Rallyilly effect of the trial was to fur­ Hooson, but he will ha secret ther discredit Section Two. support of Lady Ewart In 1984 a secretary, Sarah (Labour) and a Conse to 'celebrate' the 75th birthday of the Official secrets ~ secrets Act Tisdall, was sent to prison for peer (Lady Hooper, wh 6 months under Section Two, hoped to work for the B' and once more there was now been appointed a C Rt Hon Roy Hattersley Des Wilson Rt Hon David Steel E10n David Steel widespread uproar about the vativewhip In the Lords). (De puty Leader of the Labour Party) Chairman ofthe Campaign for (l.<lOIer 01tholib<nI ParIy) ... 01tholib<nI ParIy) severity ofthe sentence and the Once the Bill has pass Freedom of Information Lords, it willbe picked up Jonatban Aitken MP Spedal Gu est Sp<aker. daI Gu est Sp<aker. use ofSection 'Iwo in this way. (Prosecuted under Section lWo) JobnWard Amerk:u. campaigner lerk:u. campaigner House of Commons by Peter Preston (Genenl Secretary of Fint DivisJon Ralpb Nader Ralpb Nader In 1985 Clive Ponting was Norris MP, who willintra editor of The Guardian Associatio n of Civil Servants) sensationally cleared after under tbe Ten Minute Vincent Hanoa another Section 'Iwo prosecu­ (broadcaster and trade unionist) procedure. Duncan Campbell tion, resulting from leaks There is only an c (prosecuted und er Section lWo) about the Be1granoAffair, and possibility that this could Sarab Tisdall Ministers became increasingly in legislation, and the ! (prosecuted under Section 1Wo) isolated as the only people probability is it willarrive ClivePonling who continued to defend the next Private Members (prosecuted underSection Two) Act. with even more wide! Sarab Spencer support and a better cha (Gonera! Sec...ary nf NCCL) Its opponents condemn it being taken up. on many grounds: In the meantime, the Friends Meeting House First, for its catch-all quali­ paign is to launch a majoi Thesday February 14, 7.30pm ty, which makes no distinction to persuade both public il (doorsopen 6.3Opm) about different kinds of tions and professionalsto Tickets £3 eacbat the door but itis information. tarily allow access to pe advisable to purchase them in Second, because it subjects meso Already many ho advance (cheque or postal order to education, and social se The Secrets RaDy, CFI, 3 Endsleigh to criminal prosecutions, peo­ Street, London w e lH ODD, ple who at the worst should be authorities are doing so, al RI H OD RoyHattersley enclosings.a.envelope). subjected to internal clear that resistance to ac breaking down. disciplinary procedures. campaign for voluntantary TOp Secret! Remarkable measures to prevent national confidence. access to our files public discussion of planned cuts in Thedocument advises minist socialsecurity continue to be taken. In they could avoid "any last II The Campaign has begun a major allowing access to education, Authorities whichallowities whichallowcouncil August 1985 tbe Guardian reported campaign against the propo drive to encourage authorities to 'housing or social work records. tenants and applicants to Sid applicants to seetheir tbata DHSS memorandum whicb pro­ introducing them under the 1 voluntarily introduce policies Those with policies on access to housing records include: ecords include: Barnet, posed cuttinglump-sum payments to procedures for socialsecurity c' allowing access to personal files. socialwork records include: Avon, Birmingham, Brent, Coam, Brent, Copeland, claimants witb less tban £500 of sav­ Theseare designed for genuin More than 120 councillors, of­ Barnet, Barnsley, Berkshire, Bex­ Ealing, GLC, Haringey, lLC, Haringey, Harlow, ings had been classified "SECRET". gencies - for example, to all This classification means that urgently needed payments after ficials and members of profes­ ley, Camden, Cheshire, Cleveland, Kingston-upon-Hull, Levupon-Hull, Lewisham, unauthorised disclosure would cause disaster. Under these proc sional and voluntary bodies at­ Coventry, Croydon, Devon, South Somerset and Wrehnerset and Wrekin. "Seriousinjury to the interests of the changescan be rushed througl tended a conference on access to Dudley, Ealing, East Sussex, En­ Parents, and in manycas, and in manycases older nation". It is normally applied to such day tbey are published, with, flies organised bythe Campaignin field, Greenwich, Hackney, Har­ pupils, can see school rean see school records in matters as "vital military information" normal 4o-day advance noti London in November 1985 to hear ingey, Harrow, Hillingdon, Isle of Brent, Derbyshire, Ealing,:rbyshire, Ealing, Haver­ including aerial photographs of without going through the the experiences of speakers who Wight, Islington, Kingston-upon­ ing, Inner London Eder London Education defence establishments, and new Security Advisory Commitli have been operating such policies Thames, Lambeth, Lancashire, Authority and Leicesterslr and Leicestershire. economic proposals whose premature government's benefits wstchdo in local authorities, schools and Lewisham, Manchester, Merton, A small, though gall, though growing disclosure would prejudice inter- medical practices with positive Newham, North Tyneside, number of doctorsencouref doctorsencourage their results for many years. Oldham, Solihull, Stockport, Sur­ patients to read their .to read their medical At least50localauthorities have rey, Wakefield, Walsall, Wiltshire records. implemented or agreed policies and Wirral. seereev and Pollutior Information that is 'voluntarily' An example of infon given to pollution control given in the hope of