Government extends Freedom of Information

The Coalition Government has announced new plans to extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) in a bid to make government and other public bodies more transparent and open to scrutiny by the public.

The changes will make it easier for people to use FOI requests to find and use information about the public bodies they rely on and their taxes pay for, by increasing the number of organisations to which FOI requests can be made, bringing in bodies such as the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Financial Services Ombudsman, and higher education admissions body UCAS; and also all companies wholly owned by any number of public authorities.

The new plans will also make most public records available at The National Archives and other places of deposit ten years sooner, when they are 20 years old; the package will also reduce the time some types of information - including court records, ministerial correspondence and policy formulation - can be withheld, to 20 years instead of 30.

Speaking about the changes Justice Minister Lord McNally said: 'The public deserves a Government that is open and accountable for its actions. I am delighted to announce this package of measures to extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act, which will give people additional tools to find out whether thousands of UK bodies are acting in the public interest and providing value for money.

'But the work does not stop here – we will be carrying out a full review of the FOI Act to ensure it is still operating in the most effective way. The review is just one part of the Government’s commitment to transparency. We aim to increase the amount of information readily available to the public and have already achieved a great deal, including for example the publication of all Government spending over £25,000 and the salaries of the Civil Service’s highest earners.”

Further information about the new FOI extension plans can found on the Ministry of Justice website.

Leon Green