MoD uses FOI get-out clauses to avoid releasing casualty figures

[Barrett808]

MoD uses FOI get-out clauses to avoid releasing casualty figures
GETHIN CHAMBERLAIN
CHIEF NEWS CORRESPONDENT

THE government knows how many soldiers have been wounded in action in Iraq but is using loopholes in Freedom of Information (FOI) laws to prevent the figures becoming public, The Scotsman has learned.

A series of FOI requests has revealed that the Ministry of Defence was wrong to say there was no way of knowing how many soldiers have been injured in Iraq.

The MoD has persisted with its claim that only 230 soldiers had been injured in combat by the start of this year, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. In a letter to The Scotsman published on 1 February, John Reid, the Defence Secretary, wrote: "I have published the best available casualty statistics and the definitions on which they are based."

But although Mr Reid has indicated a willingness to publish the figures, the MoD has come up with a string of excuses as to why it is not possible to compile a full list.

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http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=659182006