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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| ID card reviews 'to be published' | ID card reviews 'to be published' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The government has been ordered to publish two reviews into the ID cards scheme after a four-year battle. | The government has been ordered to publish two reviews into the ID cards scheme after a four-year battle. |
| "Gateway" reviews are carried out on government projects by independent assessors who look at their progress and likely success. | "Gateway" reviews are carried out on government projects by independent assessors who look at their progress and likely success. |
| The government has been fighting Freedom of Information attempts to get the reviews into the controversial scheme published. | The government has been fighting Freedom of Information attempts to get the reviews into the controversial scheme published. |
| It argues that confidentiality is essential to the reviews' process. | It argues that confidentiality is essential to the reviews' process. |
| In a judgement published on Friday, the Information Tribunal - which hears appeals against FOI rulings - ordered both reports be disclosed within 28 days. | |
| But it said the names of contributors to the reports could be withheld. | |
| The Tribunal said it endorsed the view that there was public interest in disclosing the reviews. | |
| In its ruling, it said: "First, there is an undoubted debate as to the merits of the scheme, second, there are the practicalities involved and third, there is the history as to the decision-making which underlies the scheme and which continues even today." | |
| The reviews were carried out in 2003 and 2004 - before the publication of the draft Identity Cards Bill. | |
| In January 2005 Mark Dziecielewski, a member of the NO2ID campaign, made an FOI request to see them, before MPs were due to debate the Identity Cards Bill. | |
| The Office of Government Commerce was ordered to publish the documents in 2006 but the OGC appealed against the ruling, which has since been considered by the Information Tribunal and the High Court, before being sent back to the tribunal. | |
| An OGC spokesman said: "The Information Tribunal has concluded that neither they nor the information commissioner believe all Gateway reviews should be disclosed. | |
| "It has made clear that its decision refers only to this specific request and does not set any precedent. We are currently assessing the detail of the Information Tribunal's decision and will respond in full in due course." |