Reform on way to stop 'dirty tricks'

The new Freedom of Information Act is set to be hastily amended in the wake of the row over its use for political "dirty tricks", it emerged today.

Constitutional Affairs Secretary Lord Falconer said he wanted former ministers to be given new rights to appeal against documents released under the Act.

Former prime minister John Major also called for reform today, but urged that economic forecasts currently held secret by the Treasury should be made more open to the public. Lord Falconer-admitted that he was worried-that the Act was being used as a "political football" in the run-up to the general election.

He revealed he has written to Opposition Leader Michael Howard for consensus on reforms.

The new guidelines would mean a former Tory minister would be contacted as soon as a request was received by a Whitehall department. He or she would then be given five days in which they could ask the Attorney General to block publication.

The ex-minister would also be able to appeal a second time if a decision was taken to publish.

The row over the Freedom of Information Act intensified last week when The Times ran a story claiming Mr Major and his former chancellor Norman Lamont were blocking the release of papers on Black Wednesday.

Mr Major today said he "smelled a rat" about the story" and "the rat is fairly putrid". He added: "There is no doubt that there was enemy action against Norman Lamont and I in the lobby last week," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Evening Standard revealed last week that Labour was also planning to use the Act to dig dirt on Tory leader Michael Howard.

Mr Major called for a " moratorium around election time to end these shenanigans" surrounding requests for information.

"The way the Act has been drafted is self-evidently onesided. It opens up former governments and it keeps closed and protects present governments. That can't be right," he said.