From Harry Cohen MP (received this lunchtime)

[mirrorshard]

Thank you for your communication regarding publication of MPs expenses. I do not object to relevant, appropriate information being disclosed and both campaigned and voted into law The Freedom of Information Act. MPs communication with constituents was exempted and I strongly support that confidentiality.

I believe that the categorisation of MPs expenses into 26 categories amply meets the intentions of the Act. (I enclose the list of proposed categories.)

In addition I welcome and support effective auditing, including by external auditors.
However I do not support the reproduction of vast numbers of receipts very many of which would have to be redacted - addresses deleted and some contractors details too, for security reasons - which would be unnecessarily beaurocratic and costly. I do not think it reasonable to focus on this as a requirement when the simpler categorisation formula is available. Also the money - in excess of £1million and staff resources -can be better used in these difficult economic times.

Although I respect the views of those who want to extend freedom of information to every aspect of life whatever the cost or beaurocracy, there are some who will just use it to pour scorn on MPs and Parliament. Others want to use it against political opponents in the forthcoming general election. MPs and Parliament have been downgraded in our system enough already. It is important that they retain credibility with issues like Heathrow expansion and Royal Mail part-privatisation coming up, and the Gaza and Afghanistan wars (in my opinion all more important than this issue). The general election too, when it comes, should be decided on the important issues of the day and the future running of the country, not diverted on to MPs receipts.

For these reasons categorisation seems sensible to me as it retains the spirit and intention of FOI whilst not incurring the excessive cost and beaurocracy of publishing redacted receipts.

I also attach the comments to Parliament of the Leader of The House Harriet Harman. I support them.

Thank you for writing to me and expressing your view. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to reply explaining mine.

Comments

[mirabehn.livejournal.com]

FAIL.

[pfy.livejournal.com]

To the New Labour authoritarians, feedback is useful only for identifying the people who need to be told why $thing is For Their Own Good.

Although I respect the views of those who want to extend freedom of information to every aspect of life whatever the cost or beaurocracy

Mr Cohen enthusiastically supports the national ID card scheme, in which the government plans to collect and use your personal information in every aspect of life, whatever the cost or bureaucracy. I suspect he has not noticed the irony.

Thank you for writing to him.

[lizw.livejournal.com]

I got the same response today.

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised. My favourite part of it is the way he justifies the measure so enthusiastically, not last week, but today.

[angoel.livejournal.com]

My response was much nicer. That said, he's a Tory, so his party line is (in this instance) more pleasing to hear about.

[mirabehn.livejournal.com]

We are lucky. Our MP has got to be one of the nicest Tories around. :-)

(If nothing else, he always sounds like he has *actually* thought about it...)

Ooh, and thank you for writing to him. :-)