WAVERLEY Borough Council is coming under pressure to release for public scrutiny all contracts related to the East Street development scheme by January 21. South West Surrey Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate Simon Cordon has demanded to see the contracts, in the light of a new Act of Parliament on freedom of information that will come into force in January. Mr Cordon has repeatedly called for exempt information to be made available to the public, but under the 1972 Local Government Act, Waverley has been able to deny public access to certain categories of information. Mr Cordon has challenged Waverley's use of the act, claiming that the council has at times acted illegally by withholding information. On January 1, a new Act of Parliament will apply the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to all Waverley information. Mr Cordon says this new act "trumps" the 1972 Local Government Act and that the East Street contracts will have to be made available to the public. "This is new territory," said Mr Cordon. "While the 1972 act stays in place I am clear that the new Freedom of Information Act trumps the 1972 act in respect of information that Waverley's legal department has previously been keeping under wraps." Mr Cordon said he expects to find himself in direct conflict with Waverley's legal department over this interpretation. "Already Waverley's website boasts that information previously restricted as exempt under the 1972 act remains so, but I am in no doubt that this is wrong; it's typical Waverley, being deliberately over cautious and consequently denying the public fair access," said Mr Cordon. However Mr Cordon says that the position in respect of contracts is clear: "Guidance has been issued on the specific nature of contracts. The government has stated that contracts can no longer be kept secret under the 1972 act, but must be made available according to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. "This means that we are entitled to see the East Street contract unless it can be proved that secrecy is somehow in the public interest, which it is not." In response to Mr Cordon's demands, Waverley Borough Council has issued the following statement: "We will deal with any requests on the freedom of information act strictly in line with the guidelines of the legislation."
