Scrutiny secrecy in the public interest is a mixed message

Pen.

Notebook.

Tin hat.

Standard reporter kit for those involved in the scrutiny of public bodies and the elected figures responsible for the gargantuan sums of money involved in running them.

We might be hurtling towards the horizon of 2020 but dominating the landscape of the rear view mirror, in an Angus context at least, has been a painful topic which looks like it has legs left in it for the new year coming.

Parking charges have been a pig’s ear.

Businesses have said so, councillors have said so, officials even said so in a recent warts’n’all report pinpointing a “lack of transparency” around the scheme, which no one could argue isn’t a completely normal and entirely expected part of modern life for anyone with a set of car keys in their pocket.

There’s no reason why paying to park in Kirriemuir should have been bandied about the chamber of Highland Council, but it was when the Angus example was held up as a “how not to” by businessfolk in Nairn facing plans to put meters up there.

And it probably shouldn’t have required the use of government legislation to illicit the first-year financial performance.

Because on Angus Council’s own website there’s a pledge the authority’s own open data portal will “improve public services through public bodies making use of the data; assist in achieving wider social and economic benefits through innovative use of the data and increase the accountability and transparency of delivery of our public services”.

However, freedom of information legislation it turned out to be to try to weedle out the facts and figures.

Without success, after the authority invoked a veto clause in the FOI rulebook and won’t be painting the full financial picture until mid-january.

Some may consider that a tad unusual having been okay with giving our first month, first quarter and half-year stats freely and with little delay.

Perhaps more so since the FOI response confirms the figures are to hand but a January 14 committee date has been set because “we have taken the view that it is reasonable in all the circumstances that the information be withheld from disclosure until that time and that on balance it is in the public interest to do so”.

At least the delay gives Santa enough time to bring me a new tin hat.

Picture: PA. Angus Council’s reintroduction of parking charges has proved to be controversial.