text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill - Keep disclosure for MPs' expenses - rejected
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  
  The majority of MPs voted against changing the proposed [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmbills/039/07039.i-i.html Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill] (designed to remove Parliament and MPs from the power of the [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/ukpga_20000036_en_1 Freedom of Information Act 2000]) so that the Freedom of Information Act would still apply to MPs expenses.
  
  This would have been done by changing the entries of "House of Commons" and "House of Lords" in [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00036--p.htm#sch1 Schedule 1] to read:
  
  :House of Commons/Lords, but in relation to the House of Commons/Lords only in relation to information concerning the expenditure of any member of that House in execution of their public duties.
  
  Andrew Dismore MP argued against the need for this change because "Mr. Speaker has made it clear that expenses and allowances would continue to be published."[1]
  
  The timing of this Bill followed shortly after MPs lost an important legal battle to prevent disclosure of their expenses under the Freedom of Information Act.[2]
  
  The proposed changes to the law expressed in this Bill would have taken away ''all'' Freedom of Information rights with regards to Parliament and MPs.  
  
  The sponsor of this Bill, David Maclean MP, had argued that the change was necessary because of a growing problem of the MPs correspondence being released under Freedom of Information Laws.[3]
  
  By proposing instead that all Freedom of Information rights with regards to Parliament should be taken away ''except'' information about MPs' expenses, this vote tested whether this was the real reason, and that the real purpose was to hide the expenses.
  
  This issue was tested again in the next division [http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2007-04-20&number=95 Division 95]
  
  * [1] [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2007-04-20b.551.3#g554.2 Andrew Dismore MP], House of Commons, 20 April 2007
  * [2] [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2007-04-20b.551.3#g554.4 Norman Baker MP], House of Commons, 20 April 2007
  * [3] [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article229740.ece MPs back 'squalid' secrecy bill], The Sun, 18 May 2007
  
  
  
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  