Council lawyers challenge Gove conduct in BSF affair

By Iain Withers2011-09-23T12:59:00+01:00

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Sandwell council questions Gove’s use of private emails

Lawyers acting on behalf of Sandwell council have challenged education secretary Michael Gove to defend his use of private emails to discuss matters relating to the scrapping of the £55bn BSF scheme.

Documents seen by the Financial Times suggest Gove discussed the ramifications of the decision to scrap BSF in an email sent to an adviser from a private account.

Darren Cooper, leader of the council, said he wanted: “Reassurance about how Mr Gove made his decision in relation to Sandwell’s BSF programme.”

Sandwell was one of six councils involved in a High Court judicial review case against the department for education over the scrapping of BSF.

The education department has refused to disclose any of the private emails in question to the FT under the Freedom of Information Act, despite advice from the information commissioner that private emails discussing government business come under the scope of the act.

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