Gove previously dismissed concerns about government secrecy, telling the PACAC in December that “the idea that there is a secret Clearing House or any sort of blacklist is ... not correct.” He is expected to be called to give evidence.
The inquiry will not extend to whether the Freedom of Information Act 2000 itself requires reforms or whether other government departments and public bodies have been complying with the legislation.
Transparency campaigners welcomed the inquiry, but said that the issues facing freedom of information “go well beyond the Cabinet Office”.
“Delays are a chronic problem often holding up the release of information for years. Enforcement of FOI has been weak,” said Maurice Frankel, director of Campaign for Freedom of Information.
“Public sector contractors are not properly covered,” he added. “The government is picking and choosing which new bodies should be subject to FOI. Government business is being conducted by text messages, which are difficult, and sometimes impossible, to obtain.”
Lord Clark, a former Labour minister and chief architect of the Freedom of Information Act, has warned that he hears “almost daily” about public bodies refusing to abide by the law.
The Information Commissioner’s Office which deals with complaints about FOI requests has had a 43% increase in cases since the start of the pandemic, according to the Campaign for Freedom of Information.
The Cabinet Office has received the highest number of complaints. The office received 7% of the FOI requests made to government departments in 2020 but accounts for 20% of ICO complaints.