I was particularly intrigued by this bit.
We should not allow our cynicism to cloud what has actually happened here. A minister has clearly had a meeting with a parliamentary group, attended by the anti-smoking group ASH, in the midst of a consultation on plain packaging of tobacco.
Again questions have to be asked. Were minutes taken at this meeting? What items were discussed? Most important, was the topic of plain packaging raised and discussed?My FOI fingers are getting itchy at the very thought of it.
Playing fancy footwork with the rules cannot surely allow a meeting of this nature to take place and pass unreported otherwise any meeting can likewise be hidden from public scrutiny.That may very well be the point of the whole cloak and dagger exercise.
