U.K. Govt appears ready to soften official-secrets laws

Press, 22 January 1979, Page 9

U.K. Govt appears ready to soften official-secrets laws

NZPA London “Right-to-know” legislation designed significantly to reduce official secrecy has moved a step closer to real-; Ity in' Britain after years of' vague promises of reform. The decision by Britain’s Labour Government last night not actively to oppose a private member’s bill on the subject sponsored by a■ Liberal member of Parliament, Clement Freud, has sharply improved the chances of the Official Information Bill becoming law. Commentators said the Government’s “non-opposi-tion” decision — reached by the Home Secretary (Mr Hertyn Rees) and a group of lenior ministers — was a recognition of widespread backbench support from all jarties for the measure. The bill is less radical than similar measures touted ■

by the Left-wing of the Pat-;1 liamentary Labour Party,; and restricts its jurisdiction[ ( to the Government and its) departments and Ministries. )l Local authorities and) 'other public services are not I, covered by the bill, which 1 also protects such sensitive ji areas as defence, foreign re-11 ■ lations, personal privacy, {< (commercial confidentiality, I law enforcement, and Cabi- 1 'net documents. i; The bill would also scrap ( the highly controversial ii I “catch-afi ’ section.two of the'l Official Secrets Act — the ; model on .which the New, Zealand legislation of then same name is based — re-b placing it with more specific ■( (and less stringent'] ■ provisions. 1 The promise of a statutory!; right to know — placing the .'onus on civil servants to) < ' make information available I 1 — was made in the Labour <

■ Party’s election manifesto in 11974, but since then the: | Government has done little I Ito implement its pledge. ; Because of its ultra-1 (cautious approach to the) question in the past, the[Government’s latest decision has been greeted with some scepticism. ) The Government is known [to want to make substantial I alterations to some sections: of Mr Freud’s draft bill, and; (the timing of this year’s] General Election could play I a vital role. Commentators said its (chances of becoming law would be “quite good” if the Government of the Prime 'Minister (Mr James Callag-. han) struggles on until the i rorthern autumn. But if, as is widely pre-) dieted, a spring General) Election is called for April 1 or May, the bill is almost ;

11 certain to be allowed to >! drop into the bin of uncompleted legislation scrapped (at the end of a Parliament. ; Meanwhile, Britain’s most .) liberal paper, the “Guardpan,” has said in a leading r article that the measure 1 should be passed in a tidied- > up form. “Open government should be an intrinsic part of a I democratic society,” the paper said. “But it has other ! [advantages apart from inJvolving more people in the i decision-making process. It forces governments to exam- ; ine al) sides of an argument ■ and makes it more likely ; I that wrong assumptions are ■ ■exposed.” The paper called on both Right and Left to support .the measure . . . “It was designed to be moderate. No !(citadels will fall, but at least (some sunshine would be let ■ in.”