Additions to the site in 1999
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| MPs serving on FOI Bill committee stage | |
| List of MPs appointed to the standing committee which will consider the Freedom of Information Bill in detail. Added 16 December 1999 | |
| Briefing for Second Reading Debate on FOI Bill 116 kb |
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| This briefing for MPs and the media was prepared for the second reading of the Freedom of Information Bill in the House of Commons on 7 December 1999. Added 6 December 1999 | |
| "Greater secrecy results from Local Government Bill" | |
| Press release commenting on the introduction of the government's Local Government Bill, warning that it will "remove existing rights, and allow local authorities to operate in greater secrecy, not less". Added 3 December 1999 | |
| Scotland overtakes UK on FOI | |
| Press release welcoming the fact that the Scottish Executive's proposals on FOI reject key elements of the flawed UK Bill. Added 3 December 1999 | |
| Queen's Speech briefing | |
| This briefing on the government's revised FOI bill was produced for the debate on the Queen's Speech. Added 23 November 1999 | |
| "Deeply flawed" Freedom of Information Bill must be improved | |
| Press release commenting on the Queen's Speech announcement of a Freedom of Information Bill, warning that it is "a recipe for a cover up". Added 17 November 1999 | |
| A loss of openness in local government? | |
| A briefing note on access to local government information, and the effects of the proposed draft Local Government (Organisation & Standards) Bill and draft Freedom of Information Bill. Added 10 November 1999 | |
| MPs call for Bill to be improved | |
| More than 170 MPs have called on the government to significantly improve its FOI proposals. Check to see if your MP has signed the motion and write to press them to do so if they haven't. Added 4 November 1999 | |
| "Substantial defects" remain in FOI proposals | |
| Press release responding to the government's announcement of the amendments it will make to its draft Freedom of Information Bill, and warning that "substantial defects" still remain in the proposals. Added 22 October 1999 | |
| Just a beginning | |
| Article commenting on reported concessions on the draft FoI Bill contained in a leaked Cabinet document. Added 11 October 1999 | |
| Write to your MP! | |
| Crucial improvements need to be made to the draft FOI bill. This leaflet describes the most important changes needed to guarantee even a basic 'right to know'. Please contact your MP about the Bill, and encourage others to do the same. Feel free to reproduce and circulate this leaflet. Added 5 October 1999 | |
| Freedom of Information in Scotland | |
| The Campaign has added a new section on FoI in Scotland to its website. Includes the statement by Justice Minister, Jim Wallace MSP, on FoI to the Scottish Parliament on 23 June 1999, the Scottish code on open government, and details of a seminar on Delivering FoI in Scotland to be held on 19 November in Glasgow. Added 24 September 1999 | |
| Campaign welcomes select recommendations on draft FoI bill | |
| The Campaign has warmly welcomed two select committee reports which separately call for the government's draft Freedom of Information Bill to be substantially improved. Added 29 July 1999 | |
| FoI & Open Government page updated | |
| Various additions to the page. Added 28 July 1999 | |
| Further evidence on the draft FoI bill to the Public Administration Select Committee 96 kb |
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| The Campaign's further response to the government's draft FoI Bill, was submitted to the select committee on 23 July. It covers issues including unrecorded information, the Commissioner's powers, charges for information released in the public interest, information supplied in confidence to public authorities and some comments on policy formulation and Parliament. Added 28 July 1999 | |
| Backtrack, Jack. You've got it wrong | |
| Article commenting on the Home Secretary's initial appearance before the Public Administration select committee. Added 28 July 1999 | |
| Abysmal handiwork | |
| This article, which first appeared in the Guardian, gave the Campaign's inital reaction to the draft FoI Bill. Added 28 July 1999 | |
| Access to policy advice under a FoI - discussion paper 152 kb |
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| A 1997 discussion paper on how access to policy advice is approached in Australia, New Zealand and under the UK code of practice. Added 28 July 1999 | |
| Is public access to civil service policy advice possible? 204 kb |
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| A transcript of the Campaign's March 1996 seminar which examined the extent to which civil service advice could be available under a Freedom of Information Act. Speakers were: The Rt Hon Roger Freeman MP, then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; Derek Lewis, formerly Director General of the Prison Service; Graham Mather MEP; Peter Mandelson MP; Robert Maclennan MP; Peter Riddell, of The Times; and Maurice Frankel, Director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information. Also includes a supplemental paper on access to policy advice by Maurice Frankel. Added 28 July 1999 | |
| Home Secretary's speech to the Freedom of Information Awards | |
| Speech by Jack Straw MP to the Campaign's annual Awards on 7 June 1999, with a question and answer session at the end. Added 5 July 1999 | |
| Evidence on the draft Bill to the Public Administration Committee | |
| The Campaign's preliminary response to the government's draft FoI Bill, which deals with several of the main issues which concern us. Added 24 June 1999 | |
| 25 organisations call for "radical overhaul" of the draft FoI bill | |
| Joint press release with Charter88, with statements of support from 23 other organisations, calling for a complete overhaul of the "deeply flawed" draft Freedom of Information bill. Added 21 June 1999 | |
| Winners of the annual Freedom of Information Awards | |
| Press release on the winners of the Campaign's annual Freedom of Information Awards, presented this year by the Home Secretary, Jack Straw. Added 10 June 1999 | |
| Speech by the Campaign's Co-Chairman at the Freedom of Information Awards | |
| Speech by James Cornford, Co-Chairman of the Campaign, at its annual Freedom of Information Awards. Added10 June 1999 | |
| Campaign's press response to the FoI draft bill | |
| The Campaign has said that the government's Freedom of Information bill is "Deeply disappointing" and "weaker than the Conservatives' openness code" Added 24 May 1999 | |
| Conference on the FoI white paper 364 kb |
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| A transcript of Campaign's conference on the FoI white paper held in February 1998, is now available. Speakers included Dr David Clark MP, the minister then responsible for Freedom of Information. Added 20 May 1999 | |
| History of the Issue | |
| An updated history of official secrecy and attempts to secure a Freedom of Information Act in this country Added 20 May 1999 | |
| Countries with Freedom of Information Acts | |
| A list of those countries which have enacted FoI laws. Added 20 May 1999 | |
| Nominate someone for a Freedom of Information Award! | |
| The Campaign has an annual Awards ceremony which recognises those who have made significant contributions towards Freedom of Information. If you would like to nominate an organisation or individual for an Award, this page explains how. Added 8 April 1999 | |
| Briefing on the Macpherson report and FoI | |
| This briefing explains how the government has rejected key elements of the Macpherson report's recommendations on Freedom of Information. Added 30 March 1999 | |
| Government rejection of Macpherson's recommendation on police secrecy | |
| Press release regretting that the government had not accepted the Macpherson report's recommendation that information about all areas of police activity should be fully subject to the forthcoming Freedom of Information Act. Added 23 March 1999 | |
| Macpherson's challenge to police secrecy | |
| Press release welcoming the recommendation in the Macpherson report on Stephen Lawrence that the police should be fully subject to the forthcoming Freedom of Information Act. Added 26 February 1999 | |
| Briefing on Lord Lucas' Freedom of Information Bill | |
| This briefing explains the provisions of a Freedom of Information Bill drafted by the Campaign. It was introduced into Parliament by the Conservative peer, Lord Lucas of Crudwell, as a private members Bill on 10 December 1998 and received its second reading on 10 February 1999. Added10 February 1999 | |
| What was new in 1998 | |
| What was new in 1997 | |
| Latest additions to the Campaign's website | |
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