Problem
Misleading of elected representatives by government officials
Other Names:
Misreporting by civil servants to parliamentSuppression of information in reporting to parliament
Incidence:
In the UK in 1993 it was discovered that information on overspending and waste in a single government programme, amounting to £130 million, was kept from members of parliament for three years and was initially reported in secret. The independent prosecutor's report on the Iran-contra arms scandal revealed that the then president had permitted false accounts of it to be disseminated to members of Congress and encouraged schemes to circumvent its ban on such sales. In 1994 in the UK much media attention was given to the declaration by a government minister that it was sometimes right to lie to parliament. The statement was confused by a further qualification that although required to answer questions accurately a minister was free to choose not to reveal all information pertinent to the question.
Broader Problems:
Deception by governmentContempt for democratic processesUnethical practices in the public sector Related Problems:
Unethical practices of government Aggravates:
Inappropriate reliance on representatives Subject(s):
Communication → CensorshipCommunication → Journalism
Government → Civil
Government → Government
Government → Officials
Government → Parliament
Government → Politics
Information → Information
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
E: Emanations of other problems Date of last update
04.10.2020 – 22:48 CEST