For the past decade or more it has become commonplace to bemoan the way ordinary people are losing interest in politics, that we have not had the sort of polls we used to have in the past, and the growing irrelevancy of Parliament to the vast majority of our citizens. While we are quick to bemoan these things, we are much slower to do anything concrete to improve the situation. The Freedom of Information Act 1997 was one step. I have always held the view that the closer people can be brought to the political process and the more they are involved in the running of the country, the healthier will be the political atmosphere created. That should be and was our objective. We were taking steps in the right direction. That is the reason I have always attached the greatest importance to the principle of openness and accountability in carrying out our responsibilities in these Houses, welcomed the original legislation with such open arms and mourn the direction we have this week decided to take.