The government has again refused to publish an official assessment of the risks associated with its NHS reforms, contrary to the law.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said in a statement:
This is not a step I took lightly. I am a strong believer in increased transparency, and this Government and this department have done much more than its predecessors in publishing information about the performance and outcomes of its policies. But we also need a safe space where officials can give full and candid advice to ministers in developing policies and programmes.
This government is increasingly becoming a secretive state, where elites and their servants can make decisions behind closed doors without the public's knowledge.
The government's humorous admission that it is the most transparent government in history is shocking. This government is using show-and-tell tactics. Even if you show me everything, you won't tell me anything. This is best illustrated by the clumsy attempt to open up government spending that is deliberately wide-ranging to hide details.
Public servants have a duty to tell the public if NHS reform involves risks.
But the most shocking part of all this is the blatant disregard for the rule of law. The government has already lost twice in court battles to be forced to publicize the risks.
Mr. Lansley commented on this as follows:
The choice to veto rather than appeal the decision to publish the Risk Register was made because the Secretary of State and the Cabinet have made this a fundamental decision as to where the public interest lies in publishing the Risk Register. This is because it is considered an exceptional case where there is a difference of opinion. risk register.
Indeed, if there were such disagreements, the only course of action would be to publicize the risks and move towards a referendum. That would be a democratic approach. The government's failure to do this shows that it is not democratic, constitutional, or even legal. By using their veto power, the government merely emphasized the fact that they had no legal standing.
Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham condemned the decision, accusing the Cabinet of gross disregard for the country's laws.
he said:
Prime Minister David Cameron has decided to keep the NHS risk register secret because he knows people will not forgive him if they find out the scale of the risks he is taking on the NHS. I'm desperate. This shameful decision is a cover-up of epic proportions.
