20 January 2009
PASC TO HEAR VIEWS OF EXPERT COMMENTATORS ON LEAKS AND WHISTLEBLOWING
The Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) is to continue its examination of the issues surrounding unauthorised disclosure of government information by taking evidence from a panel of five experts:
Guy Dehn, former Director of Public Concern at Work, a charity to support public interest disclosure
Maurice Frankel, Director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information
David Hencke, investigative journalist and Westminster correspondent at The Guardian newspaper
Peter Hennessy, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary University of London
Sir David Omand KCB, former Permanent Secretary at the Home Office and UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator at the Cabinet Office
The Committee will explore with panel members how to balance government's need for confidentiality with the public interest in openness and transparency. It is also likely to examine why and how civil servants leak official information and the routes available to them if they need to blow the whistle.
The evidence session will be held on
Thursday 22 January at
10.00am in the
Thatcher Room, Portcullis House.
PASC’s inquiry into Leaks and Whistleblowing in Whitehall is looking at the effects of leaks on the operations of government, the steps taken to investigate and prevent occurrences and how to decide whether the public interest is best served by keeping information confidential or disclosing it.
For more information about the work of the Committee, visit our website at:
www.parliament.uk/pasc
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Committee Membership: Tony Wright (Chairman) (Lab) (Cannock Chase), Mr David Burrowes (Con) (Enfield, Southgate), Paul Flynn (Lab) (Newport West), David Heyes (Lab) (Ashton under Lyne), Kelvin Hopkins (Lab) (Luton North), Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Con) (Bridgewater), Julie Morgan (Lab) (Cardiff North), Mr Gordon Prentice (Lab) (Pendle), Paul Rowen (Lib Dem) (Rochdale), Charles Walker (Con) (Broxbourne), Jenny Willott (Lib Dem) (Cardiff Central)
Media Enquiries Jessica Bridges-Palmer, 020 7219 0724,
bridgespalmerj@parliament.uk
Specific Committee Information: Email:
pasc@parliament.uk Tel: 020 7219 3284
Committee Website:
www.parliament.uk/pasc
Watch committees and parliamentary debates online:
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Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474). Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on
www.parliament.uk