From
Sky NewsSky News can reveal that the government has taken out hundreds of gagging orders as part of its preparations for a no-deal Brexit.
The orders, formerly known as non-disclosure agreements (NDAs▸ ), are legally binding contracts to stop confidential conversations being talked about in public.
They are typically used to maintain secrecy around corporate deals or to protect intellectual property.
However, we have discovered that the use of these NDAs has become prevalent across great swathes of the UK▸ government.
Using freedom of information requests, Sky News asked departments to reveal how many NDAs each had taken out as part of their preparations for Brexit.
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The Department for Transport (DfT» ) told us it had 79 separate NDAs by the end of February. Of these, we understand that around 50 had been signed in the preceding three months, at an average of around four per week.
Although the names of those involved have obviously not been made public, we understand that the DfT's gagging orders involve hauliers, public transport companies, infrastructure operators and petrol retailers.
Some told us they felt frustrated that a government "obsession with secrecy" had hindered constructive debate and exchange of information.
