The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs is the subject of a formal investigation into the use of private email addresses by ministers during the coronavirus crisis.
The Information Commissioner’s office has launched an investigation into the ministry’s “use of private channels of correspondence” and is asking for evidence.
It follows a Sunday Times report last month that the two former health secretaries Matt hancock – who left the post after being caught breaking COVID rules by kissing an assistant – and pressured Health Minister Lord Bethell regularly used private inboxes.
Allegations that ministers used private email addresses during the COVID pandemic raised concerns that key decisions were not properly recorded before a promised investigation into the government’s handling of the pandemic.
Elizabeth Denham, the UK Information Commissioner, called the suggestion that ministers and senior officials were using private email accounts to conduct sensitive official business “worrying”.
“It’s about the public to feel that there may be a loss of transparency about decisions that affect them and their loved ones,” she wrote in a blog post.
“And as a regulator of data protection and freedom of information laws, that concerns me.”
Ms Denham noted how the government’s own code of conduct “sets clear standards and emphasizes the importance of good case management to ensure public confidence, especially in the aftermath of a national crisis.”
“This is why my office has launched a formal investigation into the use of private correspondence channels at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and sent informational notices about the ministry and others to preserve the evidence. relevant to my investigation, ”she added.
“This investigation will establish whether private correspondence …
More information about this article Read More
Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-07-06 19:00:00
