Fleet Street 2.0, a UK Press Gazette blog, highlights the cross-party Early Day Motion against the government’s plans to introduce fees for Freedom of Information requests. Steve Wood has more information at the UK Freedom of Information Act Blog.
The FoI is important because it encourages/forces the public sector to be more open, transparent and accountable. Let’s not forget that civil servants and council officers work for us.
FoI is also an important asset for public relations professionals working in the public sector. If damaging information is going to come out anyway (and frequently it would, even before FoI) then it is good reputation management to do it yourself.
EDMs are pretty pointless legislatively, but the one thing they can do is make a point. Contact your MP and encourage them to sign it (use WriteToThem.com if you’re not sure how to do this).
Hi Stuart
For all the built-in limitations of the FoI Act you're right to remind people of democracy's need for it to be free and accessible.
MySociety has just announced the winner of its next web 2.0/democracy project and it's a FoI request database…
More here: http://www.mysociety.org/2006/09/27/the-mysociety-call-for-proposals-the-winner-and-runners-up/