Freedom of Information : This page has been downloaded from the Campaign for Freedom of Information "http://www.cfoi.org.uk/newstuff.html"
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Press release 21 May 2013 |
| New approach to 'vexatious' requests demolishes government case for FOI restrictions | |
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Letter to Lord McNally on the government's proposed FOI restrictions |
| Letter to Justice minister Lord McNally urging the government to drop its proposals to make it easier for public authorities to refuse FOI requests on cost grounds. | |
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Parliamentary motion on government's proposed FOI restrictions |
| The Campaign has written to all MPs asking them to sign a Parliamentary motion calling on the government not to proceed with its proposals to make it easier for public authorities to refuse FOI requests on cost grounds. A list of MPs that have signed the motion is here. The Campaign is encouraging supporters to write to their own MPs if they have not yet signed. | |
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Press release 25 April 2013 |
| Information Commissioner should clamp down on excessive FOI delays. | |
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Draft code of practice on datasets response |
Response to the Cabinet Office's consultation on the draft code of practice on datasets. The response highlights the inappropriate use of copyright restrictions on information disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act. Updated 17 January 2013. |
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Press release 18 December 2012 |
| New government proposals would block complex FOI requests | |
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Press release 16 October 2012 |
Criticism for government veto over release of Prince Charles' lobbying correspondence. |
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Press release 3 October 2012 |
| Welcome for Labour's promise to extend FOI to contractors. | |
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Press release 26 July 2012 |
| A major review of the Freedom of Information Act which rejects charging for FOI requsts or new restrictions on access to policy advice in Whitehall has been warmly welcomed by the Campaign. | |
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Total disclosure has no place in good government - as the FOI Act recognises |
| Article responding to an attack on the Freedom of Information Act by the commentator Simon Jenkins. The article was published by The Guardian on 19 July 2012. | |
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Using the FOI Act! Training for FOI requesters |
| Do you want to learn how to use the Freedom of Information Act? Are you already using the Act but want to know more about how the Information Commissioner and Tribunal are interpreting its key provisions? The Campaign is running a training course for FOI requesters in London on 24th October 2012. The course is divided into two parts. The morning session provides an introduction to the legislation for those who are new to it, covering both the FOI Act and the parallel Environmental Information Regulations. The afternoon session is more advanced and examines some of the key decisions made under the two regimes and explains how they can help you obtain information. We think most people will benefit from attending the whole day, but experienced requesters may prefer to attend just the afternoon. Further information and booking form here. Added 17 July 2012 | |
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Ombudsman prohibition does not apply to other authorities |
| The Tribunal has agreed with a submission from the Campaign that the Information Commissioner was wrong to find that NHS bodies are prohibited from releasing information which they have supplied to the Health Service Ombudsman. The Tribunal allowed the Campaign to take part in an appeal on this issue, despite the Information Commissioner's objections. It accepted the Campaign's arguments that a statutory bar on disclosure applied only to the Ombudsman and not to those supplying information to the Ombudsman. The Tribunal's decision is available here. Added 3 July 2012 | |
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Press release 2 March 2012 |
| Decision on private emails prevents "industrial scale evasion of FOI" | |
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Evidence to Justice Committee's post-legislative scrutiny of the FOI Act |
The Campaign has made two written submissions to the Justice Committee's inquiry on post-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act.We also gave oral evidence at the Committee's first hearing on 21 February 2012. You can watch a recording of the session here or read an uncorrected transcript of it here. Our initial written submission described some areas where the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations are not working as well as they should and suggested a number of improvements such as the introduction of statutory time limits for public interest extensions and internal reviews and the lifting of some absolute exemptions. It also addressed the contracting out of public authority functions to bodies which are not subject to the Act. Recent measures to encourage this process are likely to substantially undermine the public's rights to information. Finally, it responded to suggestions that changes to the right of access may be introduced to protect cabinet papers, introduce fees for making requests or to make it easier for public authorities to refuse requests on costs grounds. The Campaign made a supplementary submission to the Committee addressing some of the points about the Act's exemption for policy advice made by Lord O'Donnell and Jack Straw in their evidence to the Committee. This supplementary submission also provided examples of excessive or wasteful spending revealed by FOI, which suggest the Act is likely to play an important role in exposing and deterring excessive spending, which is generally not taken into account when assessing the 'costs' of FOI. Updated 25 May 2012 |
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Freedom of Information at risk podcast |
| The Campaign talked to Nicholas Jones about new threats to the Freedom of Information Act and its fear that the forthcoming review of the Act by the House of Commons Justice Committee could be used by the coalition government to impose new restrictions. Added 31 January 2012 | |
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Freedom of Information and rejected honours |
| Letter to The Times responding to an article by Matthew Parris in which he expressed concern about the disclosure of the names of those who had refused honours under the FOI Act and suggested the "advance of freedom of information should be reversed". The letter was published in The Times on 31 January 2012. Added 31 January 2012 | |
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Scottish Information Commissioner Decisions course |
| The Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland is providing a half-day training course on the Scottish Information Commissioner's decisions in Glasgow on 20 March 2012. The course is aimed at FOI practitioners and those with a good working knowledge of the legislation. It highlights the latest developments in the way the exemptions, public interest test and the legislation's procedural requirements are being interpreted. The course is presented by the Campaign's director, Maurice Frankel, who has worked in the field for 27 years. It will cover the most significant decisions issued since the last course in February 2011. Added 9 January 2012 | |
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No need for more cabinet secrecy |
| Letter to The Times responding to comments made by Sir Gus O'Donnell, the former cabinet secretary, that the FOI Act should be amended to provide greater protection for cabinet discussions. An edited version of the letter was published in The Times on 20 December 2011. Added 20 December 2011 | |
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Press release 15 December 2011 |
| Guidance on private email accounts welcomed | |
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'Making Open Data Real' response |
| Response to the Cabinet Office's 'Making Open Data Real' consultation. The responses emphasises the extent to which the government's objectives are dependent on the FOI Act. It says the publication of data will not, in itself, be enough to bring about the improvements to accountability, service quality, efficiency, choice and citizen empowerment referred to in the consultation document. Comparisions based on datasets will highlight differences between providers. But it will not reveal the causes of poor performance or provide insight into whether bodies are attempting to address the problems or are simply ignoring them. That requires the broader right to information which the FOI Act provides. Secondly, the 'right to data' is being implemented in relation to public authorities via amendments to the FOI Act in the Protection of Freedoms Bill. It also states that both the FOI Act and the open data proposals will be undermined by the contracting out provisions in the Health and Social Care Bill and Localism Bill. It also says the same copyright/reuse restrictions generally apply in relation to both datasets and other information disclosed under FOI. Under the new amendments, authorities will have to drop the restrictions for datasets but may continue to apply them to other releases - an unhelpful distinction. Added 2 December 2011 | |
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Letter to Deputy Information Commissioner David Smith |
| Letter to David Smith, Deputy Information Commissioner, setting out the Campaign's concerns about the ICO's guidance on 'Access to Information Held in Complaints Files'. David Smith's reply promised that the Campaign's comments would be taken into account should the guidance be revised. Added 6 October 2011 | |
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Letter to Andrew Lansley about the effect of the NHS reforms on the public's FOI rights |
| Letter to the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, expressing concern that the public's FOI are likely to be "significantly curtailed" by the NHS reforms. The Health Minister, Lord Howe, replied to the letter. Added 4 October 2011 | |
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Information Commissioner & Tribunal Decisions course |
| The Campaign's next FOI training course covering significant decisions issued by the Information Commissioner & Tribunal will be on 28 November 2011 in central London. The course, now in its 5th year, is aimed at FOI practitioners and those with a good working knowledge of the legislation. It highlights the latest developments in the way the exemptions, public interest test and the legislation's procedural requirements are being interpreted. The course is presented by the Campaign's director, Maurice Frankel, who has worked in the field for 27 years. It will cover the most significant decisions issued since our last course in May 2011. The content will therefore depend on the cases that have been decided in the period, but typically covers issues such as: "fair" and "unfair" disclosures of personal data; the FOI/EIR borderline; the application of specific exemptions including those for breach of confidence and commercial interests; where the public interest line is being drawn and the cost limit, aggregating requests, advice and assistance and other administrative provisions. Significant discounts are available for more than one booking from the same organisation. Added September 2011 | |
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Press release 20 September 2011 |
| Powers to deal with email shredding should be strengthened | |
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Using the FOI Act! Training for new & experienced requesters |
| Do you want to learn how to use the Freedom of Information Act? Are you already using the Act, but want to know more about how the Information Commissioner and Information Tribunal are interpreting its key provisions? The Campaign is running a training course for FOI requesters in central London on 22 June 2011. The course is divided into two parts. The morning part provides an introduction to the legislation for those who are new to it, covering both the Freedom of Information Act and the parallel Environmental Information Regulations. The afternoon is more advanced and will examine some of the key decisions made under the two regimes and explain how they can help you obtain information. We think most people will benefit from attending the whole day, but very experienced requesters may prefer to attend just the afternoon. Further information and details on how to book here. Added 4 August 2011. | |
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Press release 4 August 2011 |
| Welcome for greater online disclosure - but concern that contracting out will encourage secrecy | |
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Evidence to the Protection of Freedoms Bill Committee |
| The Campaign made two written submissions to the Protection of Freedoms Bill Committee. The first was a brief note setting out the Campaign's views on the Bill. The second was a more detailed submission on the Bill's provisions on "datasets". This expressed concern that the measures to remove copyright restrictions on datasets could be easily circumvented and called for copyright to be removed from all information released under the FOI Act, not just datasets, where the public authority is the copyright holder and the information is not being commercially exploited by the authority. The Campaign also gave oral evidence to the Committee on 24 March 2011. You can watch a recording of the session here (starts at 10.05:20 am) or read a transcript of it here. Added 24 March 2011 | |
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Using the FOI Act! Training for new & experienced requesters |
| Do you want to learn how to use the Freedom of Information Act? Are you already using the Act, but want to know more about how the Information Commissioner and Information Tribunal are interpreting its key provisions? The Campaign is running a training course for FOI requesters in central London on 22 June 2011. The course is divided into two parts. The morning part provides an introduction to the legislation for those who are new to it, covering both the Freedom of Information Act and the parallel Environmental Information Regulations. The afternoon is more advanced and will examine some of the key decisions made under the two regimes and explain how they can help you obtain information. We think most people will benefit from attending the whole day, but very experienced requesters may prefer to attend just the afternoon. Further information and details on how to book here. Added 7 March 2011. | |
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Does the public interest test include the benefit to the public overseas? |
| A short submission to the First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) on an aspect of the FOI Act's public interest test. The submission argues that the public interest test can include the potential benefit from disclosure to the public in countries other than the UK and is not limited to the benefits to the UK public only, as the Information Commissioner has argued. Added 14 February 2011 | |
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Press release 11 February 2011 |
| Welcome for Freedom Bill's FOI changes | |
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Press release 27 January 2011 |
| Campaign "disappointed and astonished" at Scottish Government's freedom of information "retreat" | |
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Press release 7 January 2011 |
| Welcome for proposed FOI extension - but regret that Network Rail and contractors escape scrutiny | |
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'Information Commissioner & Tribunal decisions - what do they mean in practice?' |
| The Campaign's next FOI training course covering significant decisions issued by the Information Commissioner & Tribunal will be on 19 May 2011 in central London. The course deals only with recent decisions and does not repeat material covered in previous courses. It is aimed at experienced FOI practitioners and others with a good working knowledge of the FOI Act and EIR. It's exact content is dependent on the decisions that have been issued during the period, but typically covers issues such as: "fair" and "unfair" disclosures of personal data; the FOI/EIR borderline; the commercial interests and confidentiality exemptions; where the public interest line is being drawn; applying the cost limit, vexatious requests and advice and assistance. The course will be presented by Maurice Frankel, the Campaign's director, who has worked in the field for 27 years. Significant discounts are available for more than one booking from the same organisation. Added January 2011 | |
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Response to Call for Evidence on the Current Data Protection Legislative Framework |
| Response to the Ministry of Justice's Call for Evidence on the Current Data Protection Legislative Framework. The response highlights the substantial discrepancies between the rights of individuals to see their own personal data under the Data Protection Act and the rights of any member of the public to obtain official information under the Freedom of Information Act. It also deals with an apparent obstacle to the release under the FOI Act of anonymised statistics derived from personal data. Added December 2010 | |
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Response to consultation on extending the coverage of the FOI (Scotland) Act |
| Response to the Scottish Government's consultation on extending the coverage of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Added 2 November 2010 | |
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FOI discussed at Lib Dem fringe meeting |
| The Campaign held a fringe meeting at the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool on 18 September 2010. The meeting was addressed by Lord McNally, the Ministry of Justice minister responsible for freedom of information and data protection, and Sir Alan Beith, the chair of the House of Commons Justice Committee. This report is a brief summary of what they said. Added 6 October 2010 | |
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The Blair Memoirs and FOI |
| This article discusses Tony Blair's criticism of freedom of information in his memoirs. Although Mr Blair says his views are based on experience of FOI in practice, the Campaign says it is clear that his hostility began well before the legislation was passed. It points out that Mr Blair himself links his criticism of FOI to his realisation that it could help expose Labour's own "scandals". Added 6 September 2010 | |
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Response to the Scottish Government's consultation on a revised FOI good practice code |
| The Campaign for Freedom of Information has responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on revising its code of good practice under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act. The response expresses concern that the draft code's approach to requests which are phrased in terms of 'documents' rather than 'information' is restrictive and undermines the Scottish Information Commissioner's guidance on this issue. It suggests that the guidance on the provision of advice and assistance could be strengthened; that the loss of specific Scottish Government guidance on the EIRs may have unintended consequences; that the draft may lead to confusion between the FOISA exemptions on breach of confidence and substantial prejudice to commercial interests. It also says authorities should not be entitled to ignore a request for internal review which has not been made to a designated person. Added 18 May 2010. | |
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Press release 25 February 2010 |
| Welcome for decision to drop proposed cabinet papers exemption | |
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Using the FOI Act! Training for new & experienced requesters |
| Do you want to learn how to use the Freedom of Information Act? Are you already using the Act, but want to know more about how the Information Commissioner and Information Tribunal are interpreting its key provisions? The Campaign is running a training course for FOI requesters in central London on 16 September 2010. The course is divided into two parts. The morning part provides an introduction to the legislation for those who are new to it, covering both the Freedom of Information Act and the parallel Environmental Information Regulations. The afternoon is more advanced and will examine some of the key decisions made under the two regimes and explain how they can help you obtain information. We think most people will benefit from attending the whole day, but very experienced requesters may prefer to attend just the afternoon. Further information and details on how to book here. Added 22 February 2010. | |
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Ministry of Justice's freedom of information statistics |
| The Campaign has responded to a request from the UK Statistics Authority for its views on the adequacy of the Ministry of Justice's freedom of information statistics. Added 5 February 2010. | |
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Time limit for prosecution of offences under section 77 of the FOI Act |
| The Information Commissioner's Office has commented on the University of East Anglia's handling of FOI requests for climate data, pointing out that, although the deliberate destruction of requested records is an offence, no prosecution could be considered as there is a 6 month limit for doing so. In July 2009, the Campaign promoted an amendment to the FOI Act to extend this 6 month limit, but the government rejected it. This note explains the background. Added 29 January 2010. | |
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'Information Commissioner & Tribunal decisions - what do they mean in practice?' |
| The Campaign's next half-day course on 'Information Commissioner & Tribunal decisions' will be in London on 7 June 2010. This course, which is aimed at those with a good working knowledge of the legislation, highlights the latest developments in the way the main exemptions, the public interest test and the legislation's procedural requirements are being interpreted. The course is presented by the Campaign's director, Maurice Frankel, who has worked in the field for 26 years. It will cover the most significant decisions issued since our last course in November 2009. The content will therefore vary, depending on the cases that have been decided, but the course typically addresses issues such as: "fair" and "unfair" disclosures of personal data, the FOI/EIR border, the application of specific exemptions, where the public interest line is being drawn and the cost limit, advice & assistance and other administrative provisions. Added 2 February 2010. | |
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Chapter on the passage of the FOI Act |
| This chapter by Katherine Gundersen describes the passage of the FOI Act and early experience of its operation. It first appeared as part of as part of Unlocking Democracy: 20 years of Charter 88, published by Politico's in December 2008. Added 17 December 2009 | |
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Back issues of Secrets newspaper |
| To mark the 25th anniversary of the Campaign (it was launched in January 1984), the Campaign has published back issues of its Secrets newspaper which appeared between 1984 and 1993. The newspapers, which may be of interest to people studying the history of freedom of information in the UK, start by describing the position of the party leaders at the time - Neil Kinnock, David Steel, David Owen and the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. They document the secrecy problems that prompted demands for a FOI Act, the progress of various private members bills promoted by the Campaign, the causes celebre of the time including the Pointing and Tisdall official secrets prosecutions and the Freedom of Information Awards given to public authorities which voluntarily opened their files to the public without being forced to do so. Added 17 December 2009 | |
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Government uses FOI veto again |
| The government has used its veto to block disclosure for the second time. The case involves a request for 1997 minutes of the cabinet committee dealing with devolution. Remarkably the government was in the process of appealing to the Information Tribunal against the Commissioner's decision, but has dropped the appeal and vetoed the decision instead. Added 11 December 2009 | |
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Press release 16 July 2009 |
| Government plans to extend FOI Act "disappointingly modest" | |
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"Severe delays" in investigating freedom of information complaints "undermining" FOI Act |
| Long delays by the Information Commissioner's Office in investigating freedom of information complaints are undermining the effectiveness of the FOI Act, according to a report by the Campaign. The report analyses nearly 500 formal decision notices issued by the ICO in the 18 months to 31 March 2009. It finds that on average it took 19.7 months from the date of a complaint to the ICO to the date on which the ICO's decision was issued. It also shows that 46% of cases took between 1 and 2 years from complaint to decision notice and 30% took more than 2 years to a decision. The report also found that on average the ICO's investigation into a complaint did not begin until 8 months after the complaint had been received. In 28% of cases, there was a delay of more than a year before the investigation began. The report is published in two parts: a report, plus a table providing data on all 493 decision notices considered in the study. An accompanying press release is here. Added 3 July 2009 | |
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Press release 18 June 2009 |
| Commons' publication conceals abuses | |
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Press release 10 June 2009 |
| Concern over new freedom of information exemptions | |
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Extending the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act |
| Response to the Scottish Government's discussion paper on the possible extension in coverage of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act. Added 5 March 2009 | |
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Press release 24 February 2009 |
| Iraq veto decision "extremely retrograde" | |
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Information Commissioner & Tribunal Decisions Course |
| The Campaign is running a half-day course on 'Information Commissioner & Tribunal Decisions' in London on 27 April 2009 and Birmingham on 30 April 2009. The course, which is aimed at those with a good working knowledge of the legislation, highlights key developments in the way the way the main exemptions, the public interest test and the legislation's procedural requirements are being interpreted. Added 11 February 2009 | |
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Press release 29 January 2009 |
| Welcome for proposal to halve "30 year rule" | |
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Press release 27 January 2009 |
| Government should "live with" Tribunal's decision on disclosure of Iraq cabinet minutes | |
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New bid to exempt MPs' expenses from the FoI Act! |
| The government had been proposing to rush through an amendment to the Freedom of Information Act to exclude information about MPs' and Peers' expenses from the Act's scope. However, it has been forced to withdraw the proposal - at least for now. This page contains background information about the proposal and what's been said about it by the Campaign and others. Updated 23 January 2009 | |
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Press release 15 January 2009 |
| Access to MPs' expenses move criticised | |
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Delays in investigating FOI complaints |
| This short briefing on delays in investigating FOI complaints by the Information Commissioner's Office was circulated to MPs in advance of a debate in the House of Commons on 24 November 2008. Added 1 December 2008 | |
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Using the FOI Act! Courses for new & experienced requesters |
| The Campaign is running two half-day training courses for FOI requesters on 13 January 2009 in central London. The morning course will provide an introduction the legislation, covering both the Freedom of Information Act and the parallel Environmental Information Regulations. The afternoon course will examine some of the key decisions under the two regimes and explain how they can help you obtain information. Requesters can attend either or both courses. Updated 15/12/08 2008 | |
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1,000 FOI Stories from 2006 and 2007 |
| A new report by the Campaign summarises more than 1,000 press stories based on disclosures under the UK and Scottish FOI acts in 2006 and 2007. The stories demonstrate the enormous range of information being released under FOI and reveal the substantial contribution to accountability made by the acts. In 2006, the government proposed to restrict the UK FOI Act, partly because of what it said was excessive use of the Act being made by journalists. The report shows how valuable the press's use FOI has been. The proposals were dropped by Gordon Brown after he became prime minister in 2007. (Note: the report is 250 pages and may take a little while to download). Read the press release that accompanied publication of the report. Added 30 September 2008 | |
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Information Commissioner & Tribunal Decisions Course |
| The Campaign is running a half-day course on 'Information Commissioner & Tribunal Decisions' in London on 21 July 2008 and Birmingham on 24 July 2008. The course, which is aimed at those with a good working knowledge of the legislation, highlights key developments in the way the way the main exemptions, the public interest test and the legislation's procedural requirements are being interpreted. Added 24 June 2008 | |
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Policy advice released after months not decades |
| This article, published in Press Gazette on 2 May 2008, reviews the Information Tribunal's recent decisions on access to policy advice showing that it has required disclosure only a short time after the relevant government decision has been taken. Despite two High Court challenges, the government has failed to overturn the Tribunal's approach. Added 2 May 2008 | |
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Submission to the 30 year rule review |
| Response to the review of the 30 year rule that was set up by the Prime Minister. The response summarises the 7 Information Tribunal decisions to date dealing with advice or internal discussion and points out that in almost every case the Tribunal has held that disclosure should have taken place at the time of the request, a few years or months after the decision. It says that this material should now be proactively released after 15 years, though if necessary, the reduction could be brought in in two stages, starting with 20 years initially. This change would also mean that these exemptions could no longer be used to withhold information under the FOI Act once it was 15 (or 20) years old. Added 25 April 2008 | |
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Health Service Journal letter |
| This letter comments on the Information Commissioner's recent criticism of a health trust for failing to meet its obligations under the FOI Act. Added 11 April 2008 | |
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Should policy advice be kept under wraps? |
| This article about two recent High Court cases on access to policy advice under the FOI Act, appeared in The Independent on 28 March 2008. Added 11 April 2008 | |
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High Court upholds Information Tribunal EIR decision |
| The High Court has dismissed the government's appeal against the Information Tribunal in the first case of its kind under the Environmental Information Regulations. Added 17 March 2008 | |
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Press release 14 March 2008 |
| Contractors "should be subject to Information Act" | |
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Response to the consultation on extending the FOI Act |
| Response to the Ministry of Justice 'Freedom of Information Act 2000: Designation of additional public authorities' consultation paper. Added 14 March 2008 | |
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Press release 26 February 2008 |
| Welcome for Iraq cabinet minutes decision | |
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Press release 21 February 2008 |
| Welcome for Northern Rock freedom of information vote | |
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What was new in 2007 |
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What was new in 2006 |
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What was new in 2005 |
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What was new in 2004 |
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What was new in 2003 |
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What was new in 2002 |
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What was new in 2001 |
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What was new in 2000 |
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What was new in 1999 |
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What was new in 1998 |
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What was new in 1997 |
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