MPs revolt over delays to Information Act

The Government is facing a revolt over its failure to implement a powerful anti-secrecy law which passed through Parliament a year ago.

MPs and civil liberties campaigners have been angered by signals that ministers are preparing to delay the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act, which would give the public unprecedented access to public documents, until 2004. The Home Office had planned to bring the measures into force next year.

The Prime Minister is understood to have intervened personally to give public authorities, including the police, more time to phase in the measures.

A parliamentary motion calling for the law to be implemented by the end of next year has been backed by 133 MPs.

Maurice Frankel, director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, said: "Delaying the Act until the end of 2004 would send a disastrous message to public authorities."