Defending Freedom of Information
Author: Mark Wallace, ConservativeHome - Jan 25, 2010
Amid the grim grind of recession, abolition of individual freedom, invasion of privacy and erosion of democracy, there has been one bit of good political news over the last few years: Freedom of Information.
If there is one thing the current Government deserve to be remembered for warmly, it is the Freedom of Information Act. It gave new power to individuals in their interactions with the state, it invigorated the media to perform its scrutinising role, and it has exposed countless items of wasteful spending and scandalous bad government.
Happily, the FoI Act has proved to be only the first step in a much more penetrating movement towards full public sector transparency. Windsor & Maidenhead Council have now published every item of spending over £500, Boris Johnson has launched the London DataStore to allow anyone to use and study public statistics, the Government have launched Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s Data.gov.uk, senior public sector salaries are now to be released in full, and George Osborne has promised Google Government - the publication of all Government spending over £25,000.
However, it seems that despite the popularity and benefits of transparency, its future is not guaranteed. There is still a bizarre diaspora in local and national government who oppose it, unified more by their dislike of public scrutiny than by any positive vision.
While many councils have embraced openness, many have obstructed and delayed FoI requests, often on flimsy grounds and in breach of the law. Some have even publicly attacked the idea of transparency and accountability.
Go to the original article here
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