MPs call for whistleblowing to be decriminalised
Monday, 10 August 2009 4:55 PM
By Liz Stephens
Leaking information should only be a criminal matter where there is a breach of the Official Secrets Act or additional evidence of serious criminal misconduct, MPs said today.
The Commons public administration select committee called on government departments to ensure that potential whistleblowers were able to raise concerns.
It recommended the establishment of a process where evidence that a minister had misled parliament or the public could be reported to parliament following a complaint by a civil servant.
The committee also recognised that leaks had raised matters of genuine public interest and the landscape of accountability and openness had changed with the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act.
It blamed the lack of a clear process for whistleblowers for the spate of leaks by civil servants to the media.
"The most effective way to prevent leaks by civil servants is to provide accessible, effective and visible channels by which civil servants of all grades can raise genuine concerns about the conduct of government," the committee said.
Chair of the committee Tony Wright commented: "It is fundamental to good government that civil servants keep the confidences they are entrusted with.
"However, there is a tension between this basic duty and the public's legitimate interest in having access to information about how government works and ensuring government wrongdoing comes to light.
"It is therefore essential that civil servants know what channels are available to them if they believe there is wrongdoing or information is being suppressed.
"A culture that encourages proper whistleblowing procedures is the best safeguard against leaking, and we believe the Civil Service has some way to go to achieve this."
The committee concluded: "Much more should be done to ensure that whistleblowers who raise concerns in good faith are protected and feel that their concerns are taken seriously."
There have been a series of high profile leaks from Westminster this year, including, most notably, the details of all MPs expenses to the Daily Telegraph.
Shadow immigration minister Damien Green, had his parliamentary office searched by police after he leaked Home Office documents he considered to be of public interest to the press.
Newsletter sign up