Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill

The Minister opened by saying that she doubts whether any Members’ views have been changed by the debate. I attended it perfectly prepared to hear evidence of the need for the Bill—to hear examples of the danger, which the Minister has just referred to, in respect of the relationship between Members and their constituents. However, as we have heard no such evidence, does the Minister not accept that in the absence of that—despite the considerable number of Members who have attended the debate and the considerable volume of correspondence that they must have had with, and about, their constituents—we must now be convinced that the Bill is not about the matter that it is claimed to be about but that there are ulterior motives in that there are other matters that Members wish to protect from proper public scrutiny?