DESPITE the evident politicking involved, there is nonetheless arrant presumption in the refusal of Labour county council bosses to answer Tory demands for more information on alleged scandals in Lancashire care homes and day centres run by the social services.

The latest in a string of suspensions following accusations of misconduct by staff involves claims that workers at a Blackburn centre for the disabled used the Internet to view pornography .

But in response to calls from the Conservatives to be told what is going on in the social services department and for a clearer light to be thrown on the issue by disclosure of how many staff have been suspended, Labour fudges and clams up - for no good reason.

And with regard to the inquiry into events at the Blackburn centre, they refuse to discuss the case and even admit they are unlikely to reveal the outcome. One of the reasons for this is that they do not want disciplinary proceedings to be prejudiced.

Fine. But what is prejudiced by this convenient cloak of secrecy is the public interest and accountability - over which, at the very least, opposition members of the county council, if not he public generally, deserve a far better response.

And though these alleged incidents of misconduct may, it seems, be of a low-level nature, this attitude of secrecy regarding right-to-know is an unwise and dangerous one.

As far more serious abuses in social services departments elsewhere have shown, it may not only protect worse cases from exposure, but may also prolong them.

Are not the now-uncovered years of sexual abuse in children's homes in North Wales a grim instance of the sinister potential of this outlook?

As the Tories are right to remind Lancashire's ruling Labour group, they should remember they are running services for the benefit of the public and not the workforce.

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