BBC in new sexism row after gender pay gap revealed 13.04.2012 – The Telegraph
A recent Freedom of Information request threatens to reignite controversy over the BBC’s treatment of female staff. Figures have been released revealing that male staff at the BBC are paid an average  10% more than women. The request issued information revealing that nearly twice as many men hold senior roles at the broadcaster as female employees and they earn an average £17,000 more.
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The Campaign for Freedom of Information has made a supplementary submission to the Justice Committee’s inquiry on post-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act.

The submission addresses 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. It also provides further details of excessive or wasteful spending revealed by FOI which is generally not taken into account when assessing the Act’s ‘costs’.

Police chiefs hire retired colleagues on £1,100 a day to act as consultants Daily Mail – 26.03.2012
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has come under scrutiny after Freedom of Information requests released information showing that contracts worth hundreds of thousands of pounds were signed with companies run by their former colleagues. The FOI requests, made by the Yorkshire Post, revealed that more than £800,000 was paid in total to ten consultants.
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No enforcement action will be taken against the Cabinet Office or the Ministry of Defence following an extended period of monitoring, as both departments have improved their FOI response times, the ICO has announced:

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The Campaign for Freedom of Information has submitted written evidence to the Justice Committee’s post-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act. The submission is divided into three parts. The first describes some areas where the FOI Act and Environmental Information Regulations are not working as well as they should. It suggests a number of improvements such as the introduction of more specific time limits for responding to requests and dealing with internal reviews and the lifting os some absolute exemptions. The second deals with 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. The third responds to suggestions that changes to the right of access may be introduced to protect cabinet papers, to introduce fees for FOI requests or make it easier for public authorities to refuse requests on cost grounds.

The Campaign also gave oral evidence at the Committee’s first evidence session yesterday along with WhatDoTheyKnow and Unlock Democracy. You can watch a recording of the session here.

Committee Room 8
Meeting starts at 10.30am

Post-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000

Witnesses

Campaign for FOI (@campaignFOI), Unlock Democracy (@UnlockDemocracy), and WhatDoTheyKnow (@WhatDoTheyKnow)

Professor Robert Hazell CBE, Director, Jim Amos, Honorary Senior Research Associate, and Ben Worthy, Research Associate, UCL Constitution Unit

You can watch the session live or recorded here.

Amendments to improve the Freedom of Information Act, which the Campaign for Freedom of Information supported, were debated in the House of Lords during report stage of the Protection of Freedoms Bill yesterday.
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The Campaign for Freedom of Information expressed regret at the Attorney General’s decision today to veto the release of minutes of the Cabinet Ministerial Committee on Devolution to Scotland and Wales and the English Regions (DSWR). The Information Commissioner had ordered their partial disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (see earlier post). However, the Commissioner agreed that information directly identifying individual ministers should be withheld as should certain passages discussing “the more sensitive areas of policy” and the legal advice referred to in the minutes. The Cabinet Office’s appeal to a Tribunal against the decision was due to be heard next month.
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