A COMPREHENSIVE Freedom of Information Law that would lift the lid on States secrecy has been proposed today.

The Privileges and Procedures Committee want the States to back a full law to replace the current freedom of information code, but they are expecting opposition in the House over the cost and bureaucracy of their proposed system.

The committee say that the States have to choose between maintaining a culture of secrecy and being open with the public.

They say it will be a crucial check on the power of the Council of Ministers when the new system of government comes into operation at the end of the year.

In their report, Privileges say: ‘Rejecting a freedom of information law in favour of a voluntary code leaves the balance of power regarding access to information firmly with civil servants rather than with the public.

This could reinforce the impression that despite high-level policy pronouncements, Members of the States ultimately value secrecy more than transparency and accountability.’ The committee have lodged a report setting out their intention to have a presumption in favour of openness applying to all States bodies and States-owned bodies, like the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority and the Jersey Financial Services Commission, and create an information commissioner to run both Freedom of Information and Data Protection and establish a public interest argument in favour of releasing information.