IT took us a while to get round to having Freedom of Information laws in this country. Britain got them in 2000 – 244 years after pace-setters Sweden. But it’s certainly been a case of better late than never.

Not only has it led to us finding out about the illegitimate expense claims of many of our Members of Parliament, but it has also shone a light on how our money is being spent in other areas of the public sector.

It was the Freedom of Information Act which enabled The Times to reveal the secret deals done with police chiefs last week.

Surely, taxpayers have a right to know how much is being spent on public servants – yet it takes a newspaper to employ the Freedom of Information Act to get to the truth.

That’s how we found out, for example, that Cleveland’s Chief Constable, Sean Price, was paid a £50,000 retainer, plus a £24,000 “honorarium”, on top of his salary of £126,471.

I don’t know about you, but I had no idea we were paying £50,000 retainers to stop police chiefs being tempted away.

Don’t get me wrong – I like Sean Price. In my view, he’s done a very good job after inheriting a force that had been led into crisis and had become a public relations disaster.

He cut crime by 17.3 per cent over the past year and he has a refreshingly open approach to dealing with the media. In my experience, he’s never been a “No comment” man.

He’s being rewarded for success rather than failure so he’s certainly no Sir Fred Goodwin.

But at a time when so many people are facing redundancy, pay cuts, or pay freezes, there is something very uncomfortable about secret bonuses, honorariums – or whatever else they may be called – being paid out of the public purse.

■ Is there a question we should ask under the Freedom of Information Act? Let me know.

QUOTE of the week came from Clive Goodman, the scurrilous News of the World reporter, jailed in 2007 for hacking into the phones of three royal staff.

Goodman, now released, was asked about The Guardian’s allegations that phone-tapping at the News of the World was far more widespread than first thought.

“My comment is not even ‘No comment’,”

he said, in a hacked-off kind of way.

AWEEK ago, I reported on the feedback from reader Rob Richardson, who was disgusted that The Northern Echo had devoted a page to Darlington Rotary Club’s charity nude calendar.

This week provides a contrasting view.

Laura Dixon, of Darlington, wrote to congratulate me, adding: “I did not think it was disgusting – even if two bare bottoms were on display. I admire the Rotary Club members for all the good work they do to raise money for charities.

“I hope their calendars sell well. Keep up the good work – publish and be damned.”

Mrs Dixon added a pertinent P.S: “And they do have good bodies for their age...”

I’ve thanked her and suggested she visits Specsavers.

FINALLY, a snippet from Heighington Parish Magazine.

A reporter interviewing a 104-year-old woman asked: “And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?”

“No peer pressure,” she replied.

■ Follow the Editor’s Blog every day at northernecho.co.uk/features/blogs