The UK’s major national newspaper groups have joined forces and told the Government not to water down freedom of information transparency laws.

The Government is threatening to de-claw the Freedom of Information Act, which allows members of the public to request information from the Government, subject to certain constraints.

Newspapers, including the Independent, Guardian, the Daily Mail, Metro, Evening Standard, the Sun, Times, Telegraph and Mirror group, signed a letter addressed to the Prime Minister.

The letter raises “serious concerns” that the Government is aiming to undermine freedom of information law, which is used by journalists and campaigners to hold the Government to account.

“We regard the FOI Act as a vital mechanism of accountability which has transformed the public’s rights to information and substantially improved the scrutiny of public authorities,” the letter reads.

The newspaper companies were amongst 140 organisations to sign the letter, organised by the Campaign for Freedom of Information.

The website Welfare Weekly, which used freedom of information law to reveal the use of fake benefit claimant testimonials was also amongst other organisations to sign the letter the letter.

Campaign groups that use the law to hold the government to account – including the British Deaf Association, Corruption Watch, the Campaign for Better Transport, and Greenpeace all signed the letter.

The Government announced a Freedom of Information Commission earlier this year to look at how the public’s right to know can be watered down.

Michael Gove set up the Freedom of Information Commission to re-visit the Act (Getty)

The inquiry was set up after ministers and officials complained about having to follow the transparency rules.

The Commission could see the act undermined by changing cost limits or allowing officials to include time spent “thinking about” answering a request for information in their cost limit calculation, among other proposals.

There are also concerns that people appointed to the FOI commission have previously expressed strong views that it should be watered down.

The announcement comes as ministers said their ability to keep things secret from the public was facing “worrying” erosion.

"I think it is absolutely vital that we ensure that the advice civil servants give to ministers of whatever government is protected, so civil servants can speak candidly and offer advice in order to ensure ministers do not make mistakes,” Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary said.

9 things we only know because of the Freedom of Information Act Show all 8 1 /8 9 things we only know because of the Freedom of Information Act 9 things we only know because of the Freedom of Information Act Hinkley B Working for the Stop Hinkley campaign group, nuclear engineer John Large analysed papers that revealed cracks in the graphite bricks that are part of the nuclear reactor’s core. Getty 9 things we only know because of the Freedom of Information Act Tasers BBC Radio 5 Live obtained figures from the Home Office Taser database which showed that more than 400 children had Tasers drawn on them in 2013 – 38 per cent higher than 2012. Oli Scarff/Getty Images 9 things we only know because of the Freedom of Information Act Incinerated foetuses The Sunday Times reported that British hospitals, including Addenbrookes in Cambridge, incinerated miscarried and aborted foetuses as clinical waste. 9 things we only know because of the Freedom of Information Act Sir Cyril Smith An investigation by the Manchester Evening News uncovered secret files showing how the late Liberal MP confronted police at Rochdale police station and tried to dissuade them from investigating claims that he had been sexually abusing young boys. This was one of countless examples of the local and regional press using FoI to great investigative effect. Getty 9 things we only know because of the Freedom of Information Act Afghan civilian victims A series of FoI requests by The Guardian and Channel 4 have resulted in the emergence of information that would otherwise have remained secret about British troops’ alleged involvement in the killing or wounding of around 100 Afghan civilians. Much of the information related to compensation paid by the MoD to victims’ families. AP 9 things we only know because of the Freedom of Information Act Michael Gove A long-running battle in 2011 and 2012, between journalists and the Department for Education, culminated in the resignation of an aide to Michael Gove, Dominic Cummings, in 2013. The DfE had been criticised over the use of private email accounts for departmental business, an obstructive approach to Freedom of Information requests, and aggressive communications to journalists. Getty Images 9 things we only know because of the Freedom of Information Act Black spider memos A long-running legal battle, relating to claims of royal and ministerial exemption from FoI, culminated in the publication this year of correspondence in which the Prince of Wales lobbied ministers on subjects ranging from homeopathy to the Patagonian tooth fish. Getty 9 things we only know because of the Freedom of Information Act MPs’ expenses The publication by The Daily Telegraph in June and July 2009 of leaked details of MPs’ expenses was the last, spectacular act in an investigative saga that began in 2005 with two separate FoI requests by the journalists Heather Brooke and Jon Ungoed-Thomas. AP

“I think there has been a worrying tendency in our courts and elsewhere to erode that safe space for policy advice. I think we do need to revisit the Freedom of Information Act, absolutely.”

It was reported earlier this month that the inquiry would not itself be subject to freedom of information.

The Financial Times reported earlier this year that Downing Street automatically deletes its emails after three months, a policy which makes it harder to use freedom of information.

Freedom of information has helped uncover stories including the Prince Charles ‘black spider’ memos, MPs expenses, problems with A&E performance, and disability benefit death statistics.