The cabinet office spent more than £ 30,000 to block the publication of the questionnaire used by ministers to declare its financial interests.
BBC News first requested a copy of the document using the freedom of information laws after the President of the then Orthodox Party in January 2023 Nadim Zhavi was dismissed for violation of the Ministerial Code.
On the interests of the ministers, the independent advisor said that Jahavi failed to declare that he was appointed to be a Chancellor in July 2022.
Despite the announcement of the minister’s interests, he was asked to complete tax matters and specific signals at HM revenue and customs. Investigation and dispute.
Rishi Sunak’s administration refused to issue documents to the BBC that the ministers were confident that the process was confidential.
But in September 2023, the Information Commissioner Office (ICO) ruled that it should be disclosed in the public interest.
The Cabinet Office then appealed to the Right to Information Tribunal, which upheld the ICO’s conclusions in February this year.
The government’s decision to pursue the case against its information gave the taxpayer a total cost of £ 32,251 in legal costs.
Publicity Charity Transparency International UK Senior Research Officer Rose Whifen said: “Publication of ministers’ interests is an important accountability tool, allowing the public to identify how policy decisions can be affected by personal interests.
“Transparency should not finish with published announcements. The government should embrace transparency as default, not fight expensive legal battles to maintain unnecessary privacy.”
Form that You can read hereIt reveals that when Nadim Zhavi was appointed Chancellor in July 2022, he was asked: “Is your tax matters till date?” And “Are you, or are you ever in despair, or under investigation by HM revenue and customs?”.
Zahavi, along with other ministers, was also asked whether their financial arrangements could be “alleged” as an avoidance plans.
The former Chancellor has been understood since the HMRC was paid sufficient punishment and said that his tax error was “careless and deliberately”.
Some other questions involved in the form are reminiscent of controversies which have disturbed the previous administration.
In a section in which ministers are asked to declare which property they are near, the form reminds them: “Your main home for parliamentary purposes should be the same for all other objectives, including capital gains and council tax”.
During the scam of expenses emerging in 2009, some MPs came to know what they declared as their primary residence while selling property to avoid paying taxes.
The version of the form that the BBC has seen back till July 2022 when the Conservative Party was still in power.
The cabinet office has later refused a separate BBC news request to see the form in the current use.
A government spokesperson said: “The government is committed to complete transparency.
“We publish more information outside the Independence Act of Information Act than ever before thousands of documents every year.”
