Watchdog attacks senior officials

The Freedom of Information Act allows for the release of documents

The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Ann Abraham, has launched an outspoken attack on the level of co-operation she receives from senior officials in Whitehall.

In her annual report, Ms Abraham says her job of monitoring the openness of government has become so difficult that she is thinking about giving it up.

She says she is being prevented from seeing key documents and senior Whitehall officials are refusing to answer her inquiries.

She cannot be expected to carry out her responsibilities "with one hand tied behind my back", she adds.

The ombudsman's annual report, published on Thursday, says the government blocked her access to information about ministerial conflicts of interest and refused to comply with her request for details of gifts to ministers.

Disclosure of ministerial conflicts of interest was contrary to the public interest, the government claimed.

On Thursday, the prime minister's official spokesman said the government was worried the disclosure of personal information in this instance could lead to ministers' bank accounts being made public.

That was not something the government believed should happen, he said.

New agreement

The government also blocked Ms Abraham's access to papers from Cabinet committees relating to the passage of the Human Rights Act, her report says.

Under the 2000 Freedom of Information Act, previously unseen Whitehall documents are supposed to be released to foster a climate of government openness.

But Ms Abraham says "a number of my investigations have been seriously delayed" because the government refused to implement her recommendations.

Ms Abraham, the Cabinet Office and the Constitutional Affairs Department have now drawn up a new agreement setting out the nature of her jurisdiction, which she hopes will be sent to all government departments.

But her report says: "If this does not prevent a repetition of the problems we have been experiencing, I shall need to consider whether I can properly continue with this work."

Maurice Frankel, director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, said: "At a time of plummeting public trust in government, it takes remarkable degree of stubborn short-sightedness to overrule the ombudsman and insist on still more secrecy."