Appeal over ID card review ruling

The Office of Government Commerce is asking the High Court to overturn a freedom of information ruling requiring it to disclose details of a review of the ID cards project.

The OGC carries out 'gateway reviews' at critical stages of major government IT projects, and has never released them on the grounds to do so would prevent project staff talking frankly to review teams.

It turned down a January 2005 request to publish the early reviews of the ID cards project, despite information commissioner Richard Thomas ruling in favour of disclosure.

Earlier this month the Information Tribunal backed Thomas' ruling, while stressing the decision did not mean gateway reviews would be published as a matter of course.

But the OGC has decided to appeal to the High Court, arguing: "We do not agree with the tribunal's findings on where the public interest lies in relation to what information should be disclosed and what it is appropriate to withhold.

"So far, the gateway process has helped achieve over £2.5bn in value for money savings.

"In the government's view, disclosure would seriously undermine the effectiveness of the process, as confidentiality is essential to it."

At the time of its ruling, the tribunal's formal decision notice said: "We find that the grave consequences for the Gateway process, which [the OGC] maintains would result from even the remotest possibility that reports would be disclosed, is overstated."