The Impact Of The Freedom Of Information Act On Central Government In The Uk

Based on interviews with officials, requesters and journalists, as well as a survey of FOI requesters and a study of stories in the national media, this book offers a unique insight into how the Freedom of Information Act 2000 really works.

This volume contains articles examining freedom of information statutes, including those protecting government employees who expose official misconduct. Using United States laws as examples, the articles explore the relationship of these laws to administrative and constitutional theory in the United States. In addition, they demonstrate how varying conceptions of information illuminate the controversies in the application of these laws to the revolution in the electronic storage and retrieval of information. The articles allow the reader to speculate how the connection of these laws to liberal democratic theory explains their recent adoption in several countries and their international application.

Since the UK's Freedom of Information Act of 2005, which allows public right of access to information held by public authorities, considerable evidence has accumulated about the ways in which the Act has been applied in the interests of democracy and accountability. Until now, there has been little research into these findings at the local level of government. In this detailed review, leading experts in the field consider best practice regarding the operation of the Act, and examine how the Act has enabled the public to contribute to local decision making and debate local issues. The work of the Campaign to Protect Rural England is used as a case study to demonstrate how the work of interest groups may be affected. This timely work addresses the challenges of democracy and efficiency facing local services, and considers how the accountability of local authorities can best be ensured.

Freedom of information (FOI) is now an international phenomenon with over 100 countries from Albania to Zimbabwe enacting the right to know for their citizens. Since 2005, the UK’s Freedom of Information Act has opened up thousands of public bodies to unparalleled scrutiny and prompted further moves to transparency. Wherever the right to know is introduced, its success depends on the way it is implemented. In organisations worldwide, FOI only works because of those who oversee its operation on a day-to-day basis, promoting openness, processing requests and advising colleagues and the public. FOI is dependent on the FOI Officers. The Freedom of Information Officer’s Handbook is a comprehensive guide to FOI and its management. It is designed to be an indispensable tool for FOI Officers and their colleagues. It includes: - a guide to the UK’s FOI Act, the right to know and the exemptions - clear analysis of the most important case law and its implications for the handling of FOI requests - pointers to the best resources to help FOI officers in their work - explanations of how FOI interacts with other legislation, including detailed explorations of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and how the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation impacts on FOI - a look at requirements to proactively publish information and the effect of copyright and re-use laws on FOI and open data - comparisons of the UK’s Act with FOI legislation in other jurisdictions from Scotland to South Africa - an exploration of the role of the FOI Officer: who they are, what they do, their career development and what makes them effective - suggestions on how to embed FOI within an organisation using effective procedures, technology and training - a stage-by-stage guide to processing requests for information. The Freedom of Information Officers’ Handbook includes the latest developments in FOI including amendments made to the UK’s FOI Act by the Data Protection Act 2018 and the revised s.45 code of practice published by the Cabinet Office in July 2018.

Incorporating HC 1849-i-v, session 2010-12. Additional written evidence is contained in Volume 3, available on the Committee website at www.parliament.uk/justicecttee

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 received Royal Assent on 30 November 2000 and came into full effect on 1 January 2005. The Act gave the public, for the first time, a statutory right (subject to appropriate limitations) to i) find out if a public authority held specified information and, ii) if so, to be provided with access to it. This Memorandum revisits the original objectives and evaluates whether those have been met. It is felt that the FIOA has become embedded in the culture of public authorities and its effects on openness and transparency are clear. The successes do not come without cost, however, primarily in the form of concern at the time taken to process and respond to FOI requests, to conduct public interest tests and consider exemptions. The extent though to which original decisions are neither complained against, or are upheld on complaint, indicate that the FOIA is working largely as it should

This White Paper sets out clearly how the UK will continue to unlock and seize the benefits of data sharing in the future in a responsible way. Firstly by ensuring equality in access to data; secondly in building greater trust in public data; and thirdly by ensuring that public services are more personalised and efficient by being smarter with the data public bodies hold. The UK is currently co-chairing the Open Government Partnership of 55 governments whose theme is 'Transparency drives prosperity' with the belief that opening up data will empower citizens, foster innovation and reform public services. It is also, therefore, about how others participate. About businesses and organisations becoming more transparent themselves and pushing data into the public domain and individuals taking that data and using it to make better decisions or press for different types of services.

Why do governments pass freedom of information laws? The symbolic power and force surrounding FOI makes it appealing as an electoral promise but hard to disengage from once in power. However, behind closed doors compromises and manoeuvres ensure that bold policies are seriously weakened before they reach the statute book. The politics of freedom of information examines how Tony Blair's government proposed a radical FOI law only to back down in fear of what it would do. But FOI survived, in part due to the government's reluctance to be seen to reject a law that spoke of 'freedom', 'information' and 'rights'. After comparing the British experience with the difficult development of FOI in Australia, India and the United States – and the rather different cases of Ireland and New Zealand – the book concludes by looking at how the disruptive, dynamic and democratic effects of FOI laws continue to cause controversy once in operation.