Letter to say more organisations should be covered by the Act

Reason for letter

To get the Government to use its powers under Sections 4 & 5 of the Act to bring more organisations into the scope of the Freedom of Information Act.

The letter is intended to influence the Government's response to the findings of its consultation.

Text of letter

Sir,

We welcome the recent statements by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Justice Minister Michael Wills confirming the Government's intention to extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). There is an increasing demand for organisations in receipt of public funding, or with a public role, to operate to the highest standards of transparency and openness. However many organisations with substantial public responsibilities are not currently subject to the UK's freedom of information laws. We find it extraordinary that private prisons, most housing associations, the monarchy and the organising committee for the London Olympics are all beyond the current reach of the act.

Now is the time for the Government to show it it is genuinely committed to freedom of information and transparency by adding more organisations with public responsibilities to the Act. Many of the omissions from the Act appear to be illogical and unjustifiable. Why are the new specialist academy schools not subject to the act whereas other schools are? Why are police forces subject to the act, but the Association of Chief Police Officers which co-ordinates aspects of national policing and develops policy is not? Surely it is important that bodies which control what we read and what we watch such as the Press Complaints Commission, the Advertising Standards Authority, and the British Board of Film Classification operate in an open fashion.

In addition to the specific organisations mentioned, there are a number of general loopholes in the current legislation. For example if a company is owned by two or more public authorities is not subject to the act, whereas if it was wholly owned by one it would be. In addition, as the act only applies to companies wholly in public ownership, those in which the public have significant, even majority, stakes are not covered.

There are a large number of bodies which we believe need to added to the Act; as the list is far too long to include here we have made it available online at Appendix to this letter.

Regards,

NAMES