FOIwiki:Current events

Well, more future and past events than current events really. Events that are likely to require updates to FOIwiki and WhatDoTheyKnow and other FOI related news. We tend to leave around 12 months of events on this page.

Ongoing

Government Spending Review - abolition of quangos

• A number of non-departmental government bodies / quangos have been named as being up for abolition, merger or absorption into parent departments, as part of the Coalition Government's Spending Review, due this autumn

• Main article: Bonfire of the quangos

NHS community services divestment

Main article: NHS community services divestment

Primary care trusts are being required by DH to divest themselves of their in-house community services. In most cases, this is either to existing or newly formed National Health Service trusts or NHS foundation trusts. In "over 60" cases, though, services look like being provided by a "Social Enterprise", which appears to mean a Community Interest Company. The current proposal is to make them subject to the FOI Act.

• DH press release

1st March 2014

• Added to FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI:
  • The Payment Systems Regulator established under section 40 of the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 (added by Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 and SI 2014/377)

1st April 2014

• Merger of internal drainage boards: Muston and Yedingham Drainage Board, Rye Internal Drainage Board, Thornton Internal Drainage Board → Vale of Pickering Internal Drainage Board (SI 2014/1030)
• Addition to FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI:
  • The Office for Nuclear Regulation (added by Energy Act 2013 and SI 2014/251)
• Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013:
  • amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI: [sch4 para19]
    • The Wales Audit Office (added by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 and SI 2013/1466)
  • makes consequential amendments to the FOIA Section 36 Exemption [sch4 para18]

13th May 2014

• Addition to FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI:
  • The College of Policing (added by Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and SI 2014/949)

23rd May 2014

• Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI:
  • The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (added by Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 and SI 2014/1236)

1st July 2014

• Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals National Health Service Trust dissolved by SI 2014/1597. It's reported that it'll be taken over by the Royal Free London NHSFT.

4th July 2014

• Plymouth College of Art and Design converts from a further education corporation to a higher education corporation by SI 2014/1507

14th July 2014

• Water Act 2014 amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI:
  • Any regional flood defence committee (removed by Water Act 2014)
  • Any Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (added by Water Act 2014)
• Defence Reform Act 2014 amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI [sch 4 para 21]:
  • The Single Source Regulations Office (added by Defence Reform Act 2014 and SI 2014/1751)

18th July 2014

• SI 2014/1924 amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI:
  • Food from Britain (removed by SI 2014/1924)

31st July 2014

• SI 2014/857 abolishes West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (an urban development corporation)

31st August 2014

• SI 2014/2067 establishes the Prospects College of Advanced Technology

1st September 2014

• Addition to FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI:
  • The Police Remuneration Review Body (added by Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and SI 2014/2125)
• Police Negotiating Board removed from FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI, except in Scotland, by SI 2014/2125.

1st October 2104

• Intellectual Property Act 2014 [s20] creates a new FOIA exemption for research: FOIA Section 22A Exemption

31st October 2014

• Abolition of all probation trusts by SI 2014/2704

April - May 2015

Correspondent suggests we should watch out for the creation of Nythe Parish Council in Swindon, Wiltshire.

31st March 2105

• Defence Reform Act 2014 amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI [sch 4 para 21]:
  • The Review Board for Government Contracts (removed by Defence Reform Act 2014 and SI 2015/791)

1 April 2015

• Local Government reorganisation in Northern Ireland

The reform of local government will see the reduction of 26 councils to 11. The 11 new councils will take over on 1 April 2015. http://www.doeni.gov.uk/index/local_government/local_government_reform.htm

• National Police Chiefs Council created (check FOI status).
• Addition of the Passengers' Council to FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI again (it was already there under its old name)
• Strategic roads network transferred to Highways England Company Limited.
• SSI 2014/354 amends FOISA Schedule 1:
  • 62ZZA The Commission for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland in the performance of its functions under section 1(7) of the Scottish Parliamentary Commissions and Commissioners etc. Act 2010 (asp 12) (added by Scottish Parliamentary Commissions and Commissioners etc. Act 2010; removed by SSI 2014/354)
  • 62ZZA The Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland (added by SSI 2014/354)
  • 67B An integration joint board established by order under section 9(2) of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 (added by SSI 2014/354)
  • 68ZA The James Hutton Institute (added by SSI 2014/354)
  • 71A The Moredun Research Institute (added by SSI 2014/354)
  • 75A The Public Transport Users' Committee for Scotland (added by Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 and SSI 2005/454; removed by SSI 2014/354)
• Revenue Scotland and Tax Powers Act 2014 adds to FOISA Schedule 1:
  • Revenue Scotland (added by Revenue Scotland and Tax Powers Act 2014 and SSI 2015/110)

1st May 2015

• Public Authorities (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 and SR 2015/230 abolish the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board for Northern Ireland and removes it from FOIA Schedule I Part VII.

1st June 2015

• Abolition of the Forth Estuary Transport Authority by Forth Road Bridge Act 2013 and SSI 2015/190

Indefinite

These are changes that appear in primary legislation whose commencement date has not yet been appointed. In some cases, they may never happen at all.

• Communications Act 2003 removes from FOIA Schedule I:
  • The Independent Television Commission
  • The Radio Authority
• Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004 removes from FOIA Schedule I:
  • The Horserace Betting Levy Board
• National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004 removes from FOISA Schedule 1:
  • 30 A local health council, established under section 7 of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (removed by National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004)
  • 31 A National Health Service trust (removed by National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004)
• Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 adds to FOISA Schedule I:
  • The Scottish Committee on Climate Change
• Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010

  Schedule 7 also changes to the Act.

• Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 (sch 1 para 14) adds to FOISA Schedule I:
  • 98A The Scottish Sentencing Council.
• Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part VII:
  • A district policing partnership (removed by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011)
  • A policing and community safety partnership or a district policing and community safety partnership established under Part 3 of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (added by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011)
  • A sub-group established under section 21 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 (added by Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003; removed by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011)
• Health and Social Care Act 2012:
  • Amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part III:
    • 40 - A National Health Service trust established under section 25 of the National Health Service Act 2006 or section 18 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 (amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006) [sch14 para 81]
• Justice and Security Act 2013 also extends the FOIA Section 23 Exemption to cover information supplied by the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament