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Straw blocks Cabinet Iraq minutes

By James Tapsfield, Press Association

Tuesday, 24 February 2009


The Government will exercise veto powers to block publication of key Cabinet minutes under freedom of information laws, it was announced today.


Justice Secretary Jack Straw said he could not permit the release of records from 2003 discussions over the invasion of Iraq because it would cause too much "damage" to democracy.
He told MPs he had signed a certificate vetoing rulings by the Information Commissioner and Information Tribunal that key records should be disclosed.
Mr Straw said he had signed a certificate under section 53 of the FOI Act, "the effect of which is that these Cabinet minutes will not now be disclosed".
Allowing publication to go ahead would cause "serious damage to Cabinet government, an essential principle of British democracy".
Mr Straw told the Commons he had consulted with the rest of the Cabinet before taking issuing the veto, and the decision had not been taken "lightly".
It is the first time the ministerial veto has been used since the FOI Act came into force in 2005.
Information Commissioner Richard Thomas insisted it was important that use of the veto was "exceptional".





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