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Clean Politics > Published by Guest, January 17th 2012 at 10:30 am

What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove

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By Lisa Nandy MP (Labour, Wigan)

Last year the Financial Times reported that advisers at the Department for Education were conducting official DfE business through private email accounts to avoid the freedom of information act.

In response to a number of complaints, the Information Commissioner visited the department and after concluding that it wasn’t clear that the act had been properly understood or followed by staff, issued guidance.

At yesterday’s education questions, Kevin Brennan asked Michael Gove to confirm that he and his advisors had never deleted emails, from private addresses or otherwise, to avoid scrutiny. Visibly rattled, Gove refused to answer the question and simply asserted that he and his department had operated in accordance with Cabinet Office policy.

A letter I received from the information commissioner today may explain why.

The letter says:

“In addition to the guidance and good practice report published before Christmas, I can confirm that my office also has a number of active investigations in to these issues.

“I plan to conclude a number of complaints under Section 50 of the FOI act over the next few months – these will cover whether specific information requested is held for purposes of the act. I am also still considering allegations about whether individuals at the department breached section 77 of the act.”

Since taking office Gove has proven evasive on a succession of key questions.

He refuses to reveal the cost of his free schools programme.

He wouldn’t answer my parliamentary questions about the grant he awarded, without tender, to the New Schools Network until he was ordered to by the House of Commons’ procedure committee.

He had to be ordered to answer a freedom of information request about the same subject by the Information Commissioner.

He refuses to release details of consultation by academies, and won’t publish the minutes of discussions at the DfE board (the department releases only basic headings).

It makes you wonder what it is that Gove has to hide. Perhaps when the Information Commissioner concludes his complaints, we might discover the answer.

See also:

• Michael Gove calls for £60m distraction – Alex Hern, January 16th 2012

• The best preventative medicine in the world can’t undo the damage of Osborne’s austerity – Dr Tristan Learoyd, November 2nd 2011

• Clinton: UK’s austerity budget could mean deficit will increase – Will Straw, July 7th 2011

• Monarchy “perpetuates inequality” says Plaid AM – Ed Jacobs, June 8th 2011

• Weak EU growth reveals the price of austerity – Ben Fox, February 15th 2011

  • http://twitter.com/trakgalvis/status/159222823452286976 Trakgalvis

    RT @leftfootfwd: What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove, writes @lisanandy: http://t.co/sUHchbOc

  • http://twitter.com/pickwick/status/159223184154038273 Carolyn B

    RT @leftfootfwd: What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove, writes @lisanandy: http://t.co/sUHchbOc

  • http://twitter.com/patronpress/status/159223289955368961 Patron Press – #P2

    #UK : What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove http://t.co/ChsOtOMW

  • http://twitter.com/pulpark/status/159223997702225921 Pulp Ark

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information… http://t.co/Zcfd21uf #Clean_Politics #Boat #Boatflap #Education #FoI #muslim #tcot #sioa

  • http://twitter.com/powerbase/status/159224197917323264 Powerbase

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/OOjPn9vB #FOI

  • http://twitter.com/spinwatch/status/159224202849816576 Spinwatch

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/Cn9IW86f #FOI

  • http://twitter.com/julijcc/status/159224486120529920 Juli C

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove, writes @lisanandy: http://t.co/xBfFsWW9

  • http://twitter.com/janiesu/status/159224621881765888 Jane Shaw

    RT @leftfootfwd: What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove http://t.co/Ft7Kz3gE

  • http://twitter.com/marnanel/status/159226813367853056 Thomas Thurman

    Was yacht story a manufactured storm to help Gove hide a dirtier truth? http://t.co/w879K22S

  • http://twitter.com/seefootnote/status/159228077136805889 Katy Layton-Jones

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove, writes @lisanandy: http://t.co/xBfFsWW9

  • http://twitter.com/fionamontw/status/159228955461820416 Fiona Montgomery

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove, writes @lisanandy: http://t.co/xBfFsWW9

  • http://twitter.com/davidtpegg/status/159229830133587969 David Pegg

    From the 'Why We Need #FOI Dept' – evasive behaviour by the Department for Education http://t.co/sdn0ytQd

  • http://twitter.com/politicalplanet/status/159231607117594625 Political Planet

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove: Lisa Nandy writes about Michael… http://t.co/VHk4xq7p

  • http://twitter.com/amyj_n4/status/159232782575468544 AmyJ

    RT @leftfootfwd: What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove http://t.co/ZarBaD5P

  • http://twitter.com/cityofjasper/status/159232825462226944 Jasper Jackson

    From the 'Why We Need #FOI Dept' – evasive behaviour by the Department for Education http://t.co/sdn0ytQd

  • http://twitter.com/pcs_gonw_branch/status/159232918701613057 Rep in the Regions

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/Cn9IW86f #FOI

  • mediantoo

    That shameless monomaniacal arriviste political zealot Michael Gove is being very generous with our money. Give us a break, Michael, I’m still trying to work out how the Thatcher government fleeced us!

  • http://twitter.com/alasdair_cm/status/159268373371424769 Alasdair Mackenzie

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove, writes @lisanandy: http://t.co/xBfFsWW9

  • http://twitter.com/thenashmeister/status/159274222672285696 Darren Nash

    Surprise! RT @leftfootfwd: What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Michael Gove: http://t.co/ocxnxTG0

  • http://twitter.com/jounderground/status/159289787067531264 Joanna Rickhards

    A bad week for Michael Gove. The epic royal yacht misjudgement may have been a smokescreen for something more sinister. http://t.co/YlmSUbGY

  • http://twitter.com/ilonapin/status/159318640993370112 Ilona Pinter

    …http://t.co/MRqOaCk9

  • http://twitter.com/yrotitna/status/159322403665739776 Yrotitna

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove, writes @lisanandy http://t.co/tjGCaVH9 (via @leftfootfwd)

  • http://twitter.com/skington/status/159324760227069954 Sam Kington

    Was yacht story a manufactured storm to help Gove hide a dirtier truth? http://t.co/w879K22S

  • http://twitter.com/howardricketts/status/159355036202303489 Howard Ricketts

    RT @leftfootfwd: What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove http://t.co/pD6vJ5Yu

  • Stephenmccluskie

    Am I mistaken or is Gove the Tory minister who has had the most meetings with Murdoch including some in New York. Murdoch has succeeded into breaking into the New York school system. This needs looking into

  • http://twitter.com/aharnettwrites/status/159382384939241472 Ashley Harnett

    What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove http://t.co/YHkYu7A5

  • http://twitter.com/brf531/status/159395500339101696 Private Pike

    RT @leftfootfwd: What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove http://t.co/pD6vJ5Yu

  • http://twitter.com/c_boyle/status/159421672154345472 Chris Boyle

    Was yacht story a manufactured storm to help Gove hide a dirtier truth? http://t.co/w879K22S

  • http://twitter.com/WilliamCB William CullerneBown

    You seem to have missed the main point here. Section 77 is the part of the Act that allows for criminal prosecutions. So the Commissioner is now investigating some individuals at the DfE for *criminal* actions.

    (Though from the correspondence here, we can’t tell who the range of those individuals is limited to.)

  • http://twitter.com/suzannahreeves/status/163022217364504576 suzannah reeves

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. "Individuals" at DfE now being investigated for *criminal* acts http://t.co/mctz566K

  • http://twitter.com/tony_carr1/status/163022429067816960 Anthony Carr

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. "Individuals" at DfE now being investigated for *criminal* acts http://t.co/mctz566K

  • http://twitter.com/scoscarwood/status/163022944560361472 Celia Kelly

    RT @leftfootfwd: What was hiding behind the boat: Information commissioner is investigating Gove http://t.co/UNthUKMr

  • http://twitter.com/arsey/status/163026702077923328 Robin CGM

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. "Individuals" at DfE now being investigated for *criminal* acts http://t.co/mctz566K

  • http://twitter.com/penpendragon/status/163027247048044544 Penelope Pendragon

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. "Individuals" at DfE now being investigated for *criminal* acts http://t.co/mctz566K

  • http://twitter.com/favstar_pop/status/163027277691633666 Favstar Pop

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. "Individuals" at DfE now being investigated for *criminal* acts http://t.co/mctz566K

  • http://twitter.com/sandwellleader/status/163029192601112577 Cllr Darren Cooper

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. "Individuals" at DfE now being investigated for *criminal* acts http://t.co/L5mUIthY”

  • http://twitter.com/sandwellleader/status/163030293643657217 Cllr Darren Cooper

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. My Council have been asking the questions ! No response Mr Gove http://t.co/yP0th2Bl””

  • http://twitter.com/staffsunison/status/163166256126640128 Staffordshire UNISON

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. "Individuals" at DfE now being investigated for *criminal* acts http://t.co/L5mUIthY”

  • http://twitter.com/wladyslawmejka/status/163167044555128832 Wladyslaw Mejka

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. "Individuals" at DfE now being investigated for *criminal* acts http://t.co/mctz566K

  • http://twitter.com/bob_lloyd/status/163249915017969664 Bob Lloyd

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. "Individuals" at DfE now being investigated for *criminal* acts http://t.co/L5mUIthY”

  • http://twitter.com/brownhillsbob/status/163249968088494080 Brownhills Bob

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. "Individuals" at DfE now being investigated for *criminal* acts http://t.co/L5mUIthY”

  • http://twitter.com/bob_lloyd/status/163250062279983104 Bob Lloyd

    Michael Gove's email problems just got *much* worse. My Council have been asking the questions ! No response Mr Gove http://t.co/yP0th2Bl””

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/02/governments-quantum-leap-in-transparency-takes-us-in-the-wrong-direction-oh-boy/ Government’s “quantum leap” in transparency takes us in the wrong direction – Oh Boy | Left Foot Forward

    [...] wrote: Since taking office Gove has proven evasive on a succession of key [...]