He said he hoped draft proposals would be published by March and he rejected suggestions that Labour had lost its affection for freedom of information now that it was in office.

Lord Irvine: A lot of work done on human rights

In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "The truth is that we had done a lot of work on human rights when we were in opposition.

"However, our thinking was not developed on freedom of information because you can only usefully and successfully develop freedom of information when you are in government and you are in a position to assess from the inside every aspect of public interest that may need protection."

Last month opposition leader William Hague attacked the government over omissions from its legislative plans, including a Freedom of Information Bill.

David Clark: Drafted white paper

Former minister David Clark who drafted a white paper on the subject before being sacked from the cabinet, demanded more urgent reform.

The omission of a Freedom of Information Bill was just one of several omissions from the legislative programme for this year, leading to widespread fears that the government was ducking difficult legislation.

There were going to be new laws on workers' rights including moves on union recognition and compensation for unfair dismissal, but there was scant detail in the Queen's speech about what will actually be introduced.

And the centrepiece of the manifesto were plans for a radical, top-to-bottom overhaul of Britain's creaking welfare reform.

Instead Frank Field, the man taken on to "think the unthinkable" about welfare, was sacked and the reforms are going to fall far short of the radicalism promised.

Maurice Frankel of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, said Lord Irvine's remarks were "positive".

But he warned: "This has been Labour Party policy for 25 years.