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Freedom of Information | |||
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Issues Papers | |||
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The Open Government initiative | |||
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The 1993 Right to Know Bill | |||
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Other publications | |||
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This section contains the Campaign's publications on the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the stages which preceded it, from Tony Blair's speech to the Campaign in 1996 setting out his personal commitment to FOI, to Labour's May 1997 election commitment, the publication in December 1997 of the white paper, the draft bill issued for consultation in May 1999 and finally the bill that was introduced to Parliament in December 1999.
The Campaign has produced a version of the full text of the FOI Act that can be downloaded here as a single file in either Acrobat or Rich Text Format.
The
FOI Act |
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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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Should policy advice be kept under wraps? |
| This article by Maurice Frankel about two recent High Court cases on access to policy advice under the FOI Act, appeared in The Independent on 28 March 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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Press release 25 October 2007 |
| Welcome for positive moves on FOI | |
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'Information Commissioner & Tribunal Decisions' - training courses |
| The Campaign is running this half-day training course in London on 1 November, Liverpool on 6 November and Bristol on 8 November 2007. The course, which is aimed at those with a good working knowledge of the legislation, highlights key developments in the way the main exemptions, the public interest test and the legislation's procedural requirements are being interpreted. | |
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Press release 10 May 2007 |
| Straw criticised for "totally unjustified attack" on Information Commissioner | |
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Freedom of Information (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill |
| Lib Dem MP Tom Brake has introduced a Private Members' Bill to amend the Freedom of Information Act to remove the provisions permitting ministers to veto decisions of the Information Commissioner and Information Tribunal; to limit the time allowed for public authorities to respond to requests involving consideration of the public interest test and to amend the definition of public authorities. A copy of the Bill, which the Campaign helped draft, is available here and a note explaining the Bill can be downloaded here. | |
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Parliament should not exempt itself from the FOI Act! |
| A new section of this website covers the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill introduced by David Maclean MP. Read what the Campaign, the media and others have had to say about the bill. | |
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Proposed restrictions to the FOI Act |
| A new section of this website covers the government's proposals to restrict the Freedom of Information Act. Read what the Campaign, the media and others have had to say about the proposals. | |
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Response to the government's proposals to restrict the FOI Act |
| The Campaign has submitted a formal response to the Department for Constitutional Affairs about the proposed changes to the FOI Act. This highlights its serious concerns about the damaging effects of the proposals and calls on the government to honour a ministerial commitment to carry out a proper public consultation before changing the FOI rules. 27 November 2006 | |
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Challenge to secrecy over FOI costs survey |
| The Campaign has challenged the Department for Constitutional Affairs' refusal to disclose the results of a survey to monitor the costs of responding to FOI requests. The survey underpins the Government's recently announced decision to introduce new restrictions on FOI requests. 27 October 2006 | |
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Freedom of Information laws are under attack |
In this article published by the Daily Telegraph online, Maurice Frankel argues that use of the Freedom of Information Act could be drastically reduced as a result of sweeping restrictions proposed by ministers. 24 October 2006 |
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Press release 16 October 2006 |
| The Campaign has responded to the Government's announcement that it is minded to allow (a) the time spent considering FOI requests to count towards calculating rhe cost limit and (b) authorities to aggregate FOI requests from the same person or organisation and refuse them all if the total exceeds the cost limit. | |
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Fees for FOI requests |
| The Campaign has written to all MPs asking them to sign a Parliamentary motion expressing concern that the Government is considering changes to the charging arrangements under the Freedom of Information Act. You can read the Campaign's briefing to MPs and the list of MPs that have signed the motion here. The Campaign is encouraging supporters to write to their own MPs if they have not yet signed. 10 October 2006 | |
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Press release 31 July 2006 |
| New information charging rules would "reverse openness trend". | |
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500 Stories from
the FOI Act's First Year 1.9Mb  |
| The Campaign has published summaries of 500 press stories based on disclosures during the first year of the Freedom of Information Act. They include disclosures under the UK and Scottish FOI laws, both of which came fully into force on 1 January 2005. The stories have been categorised by subject, newspaper and public authority and illustrate the wide range of information which has been released. 21 July 2006 | |
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Constitutional
Affairs Select Committee evidence 872 kb |
| The Campaign submitted written evidence to inquiry into the FOI Act by the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee. A transcript of the Campaign's oral evidence on 28 March 2006 is available here. | |
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FOI - the first year |
| "During more than 20 years of campaigning for a freedom of information act, two questions repeatedly nagged me. The obvious one: would Britain ever get an FOI Act? And the more troubling one: if we did, would it be worth having? " This article by Maurice Frankel appeared in Press Gazette on 13 January 2006. | |
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Its Britain, some doors are locked |
| "The Freedom of Information Act has begun to open doors – but is yet to be fully tested against those the government is determined to keep locked." A version of this article by Maurice Frankel appeared in The Independent on 31 December 2005. | |
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Information
Tribunal's early decisions lead to greater openness 932
kb |
| The Campaign has published an article highlighting the significance of the Information Tribunal's first three decisions under the UK Freedom of Information Act. 20 December 2005 | |
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Government statistics highlight "unacceptable" FOI delays |
| Press release commenting on the first official FOI statistics which highlight unacceptable delays in responding to requests by some government departments. 23 June 2005 | |
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Short guide
to the FOI Act and other access rights 504
kb |
| The Campaign has produced a users' guide to the Freedom of Information Act, Environmental Information Regulations and new rights to see personal information about you held by public authorities. The guide covers both the UK and Scottish legislation. 28 January 2005 | |
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Press release 31 December 2004 |
| 'The Right to Know: five new rights come into force'. | |
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Articles on the new rights to information from 1 January 2005 |
| Three articles by Maurice Frankel were published in December. 'Your new rights to information' appeared in The Guardian, 'FOI for journalists' appeared in Press Gazette and 'Don't be afraid: open the files' appeared in The Times. | |
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Letter to Lord
Falconer on the new edition of the FOI code of practice 324
kb |
| The Campaign has expressed concern at a new edition of the code of practice issued by the government under section 45 of the FOI Act, which it says contravenes two ministerial commitments to Parliament. These deal with the time limits for responding to requests and the circumstances in which authorities should accept information in confidence. The Campaign has written to Lord Falconer, the Secretary of State for Consititutional Affairs, asking him to amend the code so that it complies with these commitments. 29 November 2004 | |
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Publication
Schemes Report 537 kb |
| This paper examines central government publication schemes and highlights some examples of good practice. February 2004 | |
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Amending
the bar
on safety disclosure 325 kb |
| The Campaign has responded to a preliminary HSC/E consultation on proposals to amend the statutory prohibition on disclosure in section 28 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. 9 December 2003 | |
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FOI: 'to deter malpractice' |
| This article by Maurice Frankel appeared in the March-April 2004 edition of Free Press, published by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom. | |
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Inside Information |
| This article by Maurice Frankel appeared in the February 2004 edition of Public Service Magazine, published by the First Division Association. | |
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"Abolish the information veto" proposal backed |
| Press release welcoming the Phillis Report's recommendation that ministers should renounce the use the of the ministerial veto under the Freedom of Information Act and strengthen its key provisions. | |
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Progress magazine article |
| This article by Maurice Frankel appeared in the January/February 2004 edition of 'Progress', a Labour magazine. | |
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FOI Act will have teeth only if it is seen as a symbol of honesty |
| This letter to the Financial Times followed an article on the Hutton Inquiry. The letter argues that ministers, who will be looking at ways of restoring credibility, should commit themselves to the FOI Act, and start by renouncing the veto. | |
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'A window on the mind of No 10' |
This article, which appeared in the Guardian on 29 August 2003, comments on the implications of the Hutton Inquiry for open government. It argues that any serious attempt by the Government to restore trust must be based on a policy of openness, regardless of whether the facts are incovenient or embarrassing. |
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Information Commissioner's Office reply on publication schemes 572 kb
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| Reply from the Information Commissioner's Office to the Campaign's letter on publication schemes (see below). It agrees with the Campaign that the Commissioner has the power under the FOI Act to prescribe the contents of publication schemes, but says it has decided not to be prescriptive at present. 14 October 2002 | |
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Letter to the Information Commissioner 172 kb
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| The Campaign has written to the Information Commissioner challenging the view that the Commissioner does not have the legal power under the FOI Act to require authorities to include particular classes of information in their publication schemes. It says that the Act itself, and ministers' comments made during its passage, make it clear that the Commissioner does have this power and believes that the failure to acknowledge and use it will weaken the legislation. It says authorities should be required to publish the internal guidance used by officials in their dealings with the public. 13 September 2002 | |
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Progress article |
| This article by Maurice Frankel on the FOI Act appeared in the October/November 2002 edition of 'Progress' magazine. | |
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Secondary legislation under the FOI Act |
| The Campaign has written to Michael Wills MP, minister in the Lord Chancellor's Department, and to officials in Department, urging the government to bring into force a provision which makes it an offence to destroy a record in order to prevent its disclosure under the Data Protection Act. | |
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Further comments on the draft 'good practice' code 184 kb
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| Since the Campaign's original response to the draft code of practice to be issued under section 45 of the Freedom of Information Act, a more recent version has become available. These further comments address the changes that have been made in the revised version. 11 March 2002 | |
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'Moving the ministerial mindset' |
| This article by Maurice Frankel on implementation of the FOI Act first appeared in Public Service Magazine in March 2002. | |
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Comments on the
draft 'good practice' code 268
kb
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| The Campaign's response to the draft code of practice to be issued by the Lord Chancellor under section 45 of the Freedom of Information Act. The code is intended to set out "desirable" practice under the Act. One of the Commissioner's duties will be to promote compliance with it. 14 February 2002 | |
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Delayed implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 232
kb
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| Briefing for a debate on 5 December 2001 in the House of Lords on a motion calling for earlier implementation of the FOI Act's right of access for central government. | |
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Double blow to freedom of information |
| Press release criticising the government for delivering a double blow to freedom of information. The Lord Chancellor has annouced a 4 year delay in implementing the FOI Act, and the Parliamentary Ombudsman has published a report on ministers' decision to refuse to comply with an open government ruling. | |
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Delaying rights will "severly damage" anti-secrecy law |
| Press release expressing concern at the damage that would be done by delaying implementation of the FOI Act for a further 3 years. | |
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Government to abandon
FOI timetable? 208 kb
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| Following The Guardian's recent reports that implementation of the Freedom of Information Act may be significantly delayed, the Campaign has produced a briefing describing the damaging consequences of this. The delay would contradict what MPs were told as the Act went through Parliament and would defer the new rights of access beyond the point that anyone imagined possible. It would also be the least practicable of all available solutions, likely to magnify the potential difficulties of implementation both for public authorities and the Information Commissioner. 2 November 2001 | |
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Publications Schemes response 80 kb
|
| The Campaign has responded to the Information Commissioner's consultation paper on publication schemes. The FOI Act requires every public authority to produce such a scheme describing information it publishes. The Campaign says publication schemes should not be approved by the Commissioner unless they make substantial progress in releasing previously unpublished information, and should require authorities to provide 'access tools' to help applicants understand what information they hold. | |
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FOI: No right of access till 2005? |
| The Campaign has written to MPs asking them to sign an EDM urging the Government to implement the FOI Act on time. The Government had planned to start bringing the right of access into force by summer 2002. However it now seems possible that this date could be set back by several years. If your MP is not on the list please write to him or her and ask them to sign EDM 296. | |
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The Freedom of Information Act 2000 |
| The Campaign has produced a version of the full text of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which can be downloaded in a single Acrobat PDF or Rich Text Format file. The Act is also available on the Stationery Office website, but there it is published in a format which requires readers to view more than 30 separate web pages. | |
The FOI Bill |
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Queen's Speech briefing |
| This briefing on the government's revised FOI bill was published on 23 November 1999. | |
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What's wrong with the Bill |
| Short article which first appeared in the House Magazine 6 December 1999 | |
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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. | |
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FOI Bill Committee Stage : Collected Briefings 688 kb
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| Complete set of briefing papers (1-10) on amendments tabled to the Freedom of Information Bill during its Committee Stage. Produced 9 February 2000 | |
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16 things you would not believe possible under a FOI Act |
| Press release highlighting the extraordinary failings of the Freedom of Information Bill | |
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FOI Bill: Briefing for Lords second reading 192 kb
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| Briefing for Peers for the second reading of the Freedom of Information in the House of Lords on 20 April. | |
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Notes on Government amendments for Lords committee stage |
| The government's amendments for the Lords committee stage of the FOI Bill appeared on the internet on July 31. No date has yet been set for the committee stage to begin. | |
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FOI Bill: Guide to amendments for Lords committee stage 104 kb
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| Guide to amendments tabled for the Lords committee stage of the Freedom of Information Bill, the first day of which will take place on 17 October. | |
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Lords committee stage: Collected briefings on FOI Bill 424 kb
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| Complete set of detailed briefing papers for the Lords committee stage of the Freedom of Information Bill, which ended on 25 October 2000. For a short summary of the key issues see pages 1-5 of the first briefing paper. | |
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BSE and Secrecy: Implications for the FOI Bill 76 kb
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| Briefing paper setting out some of the BSE Inquiry's findings about secrecy and the implications for the Freedom of Information Bill. | |
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FOI Bill: Report Stage Briefing 52 kb
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| Briefing for the Lords Report Stage of the Freedom of Information Bill on 14th and 15th November explaining why the Campaign is deeply disappointed at the agreement reached between the Liberal Democrats and the government. It also describes some of the key amendments. | |
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FOI Bill: Lords Third Reading Briefing 76 kb
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| Briefing for the Lords Third Reading Stage of the Freedom of Information Bill on 22nd November, containing notes on selected amendments which the Campaign supported. It also explains in more detail why the Campaign does not accept the claim made by the Liberal Democrat peers that their amendments to clause 2 effectively transform the bill's class exemptions into 'prejudice' exemptions. | |
The draft bill |
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The government's draft FoI Bill |
| Read the government's consultation document and draft Freedom of Information bill published in May 1999 on the Lord Chancellor's Department website. | |
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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" | |
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Abysmal handiwork |
| This article, which appeared in the Guardian on 25 May 1999, gives the Campaign's inital reaction to the draft Bill, asking why the government has retreated so far from its own white paper and the objectives outlined in opposition by Tony Blair. | |
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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. | |
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Speech by the Campaign's Co-Chairman at the Freedom of Information Awards |
| Speech by James Cornford, Co-Chairman of the Campaign, presenting a critique of the draft FOI bill. | |
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Evidence on the draft Bill to the Public Administration Committee 312 kb
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| The Campaign's response to the draft FoI Bill, which deals in detail with our main concerns. These include exemptions without harm tests, no public interest override to enable the Commissioner to order disclosure, and giving authorities the right to pry into an applicant's reasons for asking for the information. There are two submissions to the select committee, dated 22 June and 23 July 1999, combined into this one document. | |
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Backtrack, Jack. You've got it wrong. |
| This article, which appeared in the Guardian on 25 June 1999, comments on Jack Straw's initial appearance before the Public Administration Select Committee. The Home Secretary appeared to make some helpful, but minor, concessions on the contents of some parts of the draft Bill. However, they fall far short of the fundamental revision of the Bill needed to make it acceptable. | |
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Just a beginning |
| This article, which appeared in the Guardian on 11 October 1999, comments on reported concessions on the draft FoI Bill contained in a leaked Cabinet document. | |
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Write to your MP! 570 kb
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| 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. | |
Between the white paper and the draft bill |
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No more secrets, please |
| This article, which appeared in the Independent on Sunday on 26 July 1998, outlines the Campaign's fears that the government will not introduce a freedom of information bill in the next Parliamentary session and that the white paper proposals will be watered down. | |
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Secrets and lies |
| This article, which appeared in the Guardian on 18 August 1998, discusses the implications of the government's provisional decision to drop freedom of information from next year's legislative programme, and argues that this will seriously damage its credibility - particularly if it also proceeds with the Official Secrets Act prosecution of the ex-MI5 man David Shayler. | |
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Delay in introducing FOI legislation |
| This November 1998 letter to the Prime Minister from the Campaign and forty-six other organisations expresses our concern at the delay in bringing forward FOI legislation. It asks the Prime Minister to give an explicit commitment that a bill will be introduced in the 1999/2000 parliamentary session. | |
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The Prime Minister replies to the Campaign |
| The Prime Minister's reply to the November 1998 letter from the Campaign and forty-six other organisations expressing our concern at the delay in bringing forward FOI legislation (see above). | |
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A draft Freedom of Information Bill - repeatedly delayed |
| The government has been promising to publish a draft FoI Bill for consultation since June 1997. These quotes show how the timetable has repeatedly slipped. | |
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Briefing on the Macpherson Report and FOI 128 kb
|
| This briefing was produced for a House of Commons debate held on 30 March 1999. MPs were debating the government's response to the Macpherson Report on the death of Stephen Lawrence. The government has rejected key elements of the report's recommendations on Freedom of Information which will allow information that would not harm the work of the police - and would improve accountability - to be unneccessarily withheld. | |
The white paper |
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The government's white paper |
| Read the government's proposals published in December 1997 on the Stationery Office website. | |
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Article on the white paper |
| A short article by the Campaign, which appeared in the Guardian on 16 December 1997, commenting on the white paper. | |
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Conference on the FoI white paper 364 kb
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| A transcript of the Campaign's conference on the FoI white paper held in February 1998. Speakers: Dr David Clark MP, the minister then responsible for Freedom of Information; Elizabeth France, Data Protection Commissioner; Kevin Murphy, Information Commissioner of Ireland; Michael Tankersley, Senior Attorney, Public Citizen Litigation Group; Sheila McKechnie, Director, Consumers' Association; Charles Ramsden, then Head of the FOI Unit in the Cabinet Office; John Wadham, Director, Liberty; Jonathan Baume, General Secretary, Association of First Division Civil Servants; Richard Thomas, Director, Public Policy Group, Clifford Chance; and Maurice Frankel, Director, Campaign for Freedom of Information. | |
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Response to the Government's FoI Proposals 228 kb
|
| The Campaign's response, published in March 1998, to the government's white paper on FoI. This detailed paper also incorporates the Campaign's evidence to the House of Commons Public Administration Committee in January 1998. | |
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Lord Chancellor's Speech to Freedom of Information Awards |
| Speech of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg, at the Campaign for Freedom of Information 1997 Awards, 28 April 1998. | |
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Briefing for House of Commons Debate on Freedom of Information |
| This briefing was produced for a debate on Freedom of Information held in the House of Commons on 6 July 1998. The Campaign warmly welcomed the white paper, though with a number of concerns about recent developments. | |
From the general election to the white paper |
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Tony Blair's speech to the Campaign's annual Awards |
| Given in March 1996 when Leader of the Opposition, Tony Blair told the Campaign that, "A Freedom of Information Act is not just important in itself. It is part of bringing our politics up to date, of letting politics catch up with the aspirations of people and delivering not just more open but more effective and efficient government for the future." | |
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Labour Party commitments to FOI over the years |
| A commitment to introduce Freedom of Information legislation has featured in every general election manifesto since 1974. This page records those pledges together with statements from prominent Labour politicians. | |
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A Freedom of Information Bill |
| The Campaign's May 1997 draft of a Freedom of Information Bill, revised from its earlier proposals in time for the 1997 General Election. | |
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Proposals for a Freedom of Information Act |
| The Campaign's May 1997 proposals for a Freedom of Information Act are set out in the form of Instructions to Parliamentary Counsel (the government lawyer who drafts legislation) describing what the Act should contain. | |
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Consulting about FOI |
| June 1997. Letter from the Campaign to Dr David Clark MP suggesting that the Government's proposals should be developed with the maximum openness. | |
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Enforcement of FOI |
| July 1997. Letter from the Campaign to Dr David Clark MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, about the enforcement of Freedom of Information | |
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This section contains papers dealing with issues in freedom of information policy, rather than in response to specific events.
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Key Issues 111 kb
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| This paper discusses a number of issues including access to civil service policy advice, a public interest override for exemptions, and charges for information. It was published in December 1997, before the white paper appeared. | |
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FOI Checklist 56 kb
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| This Checklist was also published in December 1997, before the white paper appeared, and suggests key points to look for in the government's proposals. | |
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Publication of papers of previous administrations |
| October 1997. Letter to Jeff Rooker MP, Food Safety Minister, about the restriction which prevents ministers seeing the papers of a previous administration. Mr Rooker had been denied access to a report on abattoir safety standards which he therefore could not make public. | |
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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. | |
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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. | |
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Freedom of Information and Universities |
| Paper given in June 1998 on the implications of freedom of information legislation for universities given at a conference organised by the Society for Research into Higher Education. | |
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History of the Issue |
| An updated history of official secrecy and attempts to secure a Freedom of Information Act in this country | |
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Countries with Freedom of Information Acts |
| A list of those countries which have enacted FoI laws. | |
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This section relates to the Open Government codes of practice introduced by the Conservative government in 1994 & 1995. The codes remain in force and can be used by people seeking information from central government and the NHS.
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Code of Practice on Access to Government Information - Guidance on Interpretation 600 kb
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| The Campaign has produced an electronic version of the Government's Guidance on Interpretation of the open government code. This has not been available on the Internet before and has been reproduced with the permission of the Department for Constitutional Affairs (formerly the Lord Chancellor's Department). | |
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Health Department challenged over "absurd" hospital consultant secrecy |
| The Department of Health has agreed that the Data Protection Act does not prevent it from releasing the precise numbers of consultants working in hospital departments. | |
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Broken commitments on access to health records |
| Updated June 2003. The Department of Health has begun publishing the previously secret papers of a group advising ministers about the fees charged for access to health records and related data protection issues, following a challenge by the Campaign. It has also revised its guidance on access to health records, after the Campaign pointed out that it broke ministerial promises that patients would be able to have their own views about a disputed matter added to their records, and NHS bodies would be urged to deal with requests within 21 days, instead of the 40 day limit set by the Data Protection Act. | |
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Challenge to secrecy over private sector staff in Whitehall |
| Updated June 2003. Code of Practice requests and correspondence with government departments over revealing the identities of private sector staff working on secondment in government departments. Government departments initially refused to identify seconded staff, claiming that the Data Protection Act prohibited them from doing so unless the individuals themselves agreed to be indentified. The Campaign argued that the DPA permitted disclosure even where the individuals had refused consent. After three years of correspondence the government finally accepted that the Campaign's view was correct. | |
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Testing the Open Government Code of Practice |
| The 'Code of Practice on Access to Government Information' came into force on April 4, 1994. The government promises to release information on request unless it is covered by one of 15 broad exemptions. Dissatisfied applicants can complain, via an MP, to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. A separate code applying to the NHS came into force in June 1995. The Codes are not legally binding and fall short of a Freedom of Information Act but should provide opportunities for access to some previously withheld information. This briefing by the Campaign is designed to encourage people to test the Code - both to benefit from any improvements, and to reveal its shortcomings. | |
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The Campaign's views on the operation of the Code |
| March 1995. Evidence to the Select Committee on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman). This details the Campaign's experiences of using the Code of Practice in the first year of its operation. | |
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Information that even the Ombudsman could not see |
| March 1995. Further evidence by the Campaign to the Select Committee on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman), concerning a request made to the Lord Chancellor's department for information. | |
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Press Release on Code of Practice charges |
| Some departments reserve the right to make high charges for information released under the Open Government Code of Practice. This press release dated 9 November 1994 details the charges. | |
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The Code of Practice on Access to Government Information |
| The full text of the Code. | |
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The Code of Practice on Openness in the NHS |
| The full text of the NHS Code. | |
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Government leaflet on the Code of Practice |
| A brief guide to the Code produced by the Government, including a list of 'Open Government' contacts in Whitehall departments. | |
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List of bodies subject to the Code of Practice |
| A non-exhaustive list of bodies subject to the central government Code. | |
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Government Information on the Internet |
| October 1995. Letter from the Campaign to Roger Freeman MP, the minister for 'open government', about the lack of access to Hansard and statutes on the Internet and suggestions for further information that the Government should make available on the Internet. | |
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Access to Personal Files and Health & Safety Information |
| July 1995. Letter to Roger Freeman MP about the government's failure to introduce promised legislation on access to personal files held by government departments and to health and safety information. |
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The Right to Know Bill was a freedom of information bill drafted by the Campaign and introduced by Mark Fisher MP in 1993. The bill also proposed to reform the Official Secrets Act. The bill completed its committee stage but was then blocked by the Government at its report stage in July 1993 after a total of 21 hours debate in the Commons and in committee.
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Questions & Answers about the Right to Know Bill |
| This booklet was published by the Campaign in 1993 at the time the Right to Know Bill was before Parliament. | |
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Guide to the Right to Know Bill |
| A detailed guide to the provisions of the Bill. | |
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Articles from  on the Right to Know Bill
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| A series of articles from the August 1993 issue of on the Right to Know Bill and the debates on it in Parliament.
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Why Britain needs a Freedom of Information Act |
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A Freedom of Information Bill |
| The full text of a Freedom of Information Bill drafted by the Campaign, and introduced into Parliament by Andrew Mackinlay MP with cross-party support, as a 10-minute rule Bill on 18 November 1998. The same bill, with minor amendments, was introduced in the House of Lords by the Conservative peer, Lord Lucas of Crudwell, and received a second reading in February 1999 (see above). | |
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Briefing on Lord Lucas' Freedom of Information Bill 196 kb
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| This briefing gives a clause by clause explanation of the private peer's FOI bill, introduced by the Conservative peer Lord Lucas, which received a second reading in the House of Lords on 10 February 1999. The bill, which was drafted by the Campaign, is largely the same as the 10-minute rule bill introduced by Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay in November 1998. The Bill itself can be read on the Stationery Office website. | |
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Addicted to Secrecy, Lies and Distortion |
| This article, by the Campaign's director, Maurice Frankel, appeared in the 'Observer' supplement on Censorship, March 1994. |
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