text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill - Question Proposed
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  
  
  <p>The subject for debate was a proposed law that would have taken away the public's right to know about the internal workings of Parliament, or see any correspondence between MPs and any government department or local authority.</p>
  
  <p>Since there were not enough MPs present who were prepared to vote against, the only way to prevent this change to the law was to run a "filibuster" and delay the process for long enough that it would run out of Parliamentary time.</p>
  
  <p>Because the outcome of the final vote was known with significant high level backing,[2] those who voted in favour of speeding the process up so that it did not run out of time were against the retaining the public's right to know about the internal workings of Parliament or any correspondence between MPs and government departments.</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li> [1] <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmbills/039/07039.i-i.html#NewClause">Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill</a> to the <a href="http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00036--p.htm#sch1">Freedom of Information Act 2000</a></li>
  <li> [2] <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/may/20/pressandpublishing.freedomofinformation">Lords to shame MPs over secrecy bill</a>, The Observer, (20 May 2007)</li>
  </ul>
  
  
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  