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

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

April - May 2015

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

27th March 2015

Abolition of two committees:

• The Advisory Committee on Pesticides (removed by SI 2015/978)
• The Advisory Committee on Pesticides for Northern Ireland (removed by SI 2015/978)

31st March 2015

• 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)
• other additions to FOISA Schedule 1:
  • Revenue Scotland (added by Revenue Scotland and Tax Powers Act 2014 and SSI 2015/110)
  • 7B Food Standards Scotland (added by Food (Scotland) Act 2015 and SSI 2015/99)

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

27th June 2015

• Establishment of more integration joint boards by SSI 2015/222^{({{#formlink:form=Legislation|link text=add|query string=Legislation[Type]=ssi&Legislation[Year]=2015&Legislation[Number]=222}})}:
  • Argyll and Bute Integration Joint Board
  • East Dunbartonshire Integration Joint Board
  • East Lothian Integration Joint Board
  • East Renfrewshire Integration Joint Board
  • Edinburgh City Integration Joint Board
  • Inverclyde Integration Joint Board
  • Midlothian Integration Joint Board
  • North Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board
  • Renfrewshire Integration Joint Board
  • Shetland Islands Integration Joint Board
  • West Dunbartonshire Integration Joint Board

30th July 2015

• Incorporation of the National College for High Speed Rail (a further education corporation) by SI 2015/1547^{({{#formlink:form=Legislation|link text=add|query string=Legislation[Type]=uksi&Legislation[Year]=2015&Legislation[Number]=1547}})}.

1st September 2015

• Abolition of West Middlesex University Hospital National Health Service Trust by SI 2015/1621^{({{#formlink:form=Legislation|link text=add|query string=Legislation[Type]=uksi&Legislation[Year]=2015&Legislation[Number]=1621}})}.

21st September 2015

• Establishment of more integration joint boards by SSI 2015/266^{({{#formlink:form=Legislation|link text=add|query string=Legislation[Type]=ssi&Legislation[Year]=2015&Legislation[Number]=266}})}:
  • South Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board
  • West Lothian Integration Joint Board
  • Western Isles Integration Joint Board

1st October 2015

• Amendment to FOISA Schedule 1:
  • 76 The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (removed by Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014 and SSI 2015/196)

3rd October 2015

• Creation of more integration joint boards by SSI 2015/321^{({{#formlink:form=Legislation|link text=add|query string=Legislation[Type]=ssi&Legislation[Year]=2015&Legislation[Number]=321}})}

22nd October 2015

• British School of Osteopathy becomes a designated institution by virtue of SI 2015/1703^{({{#formlink:form=Legislation|link text=add|query string=Legislation[Type]=uksi&Legislation[Year]=2015&Legislation[Number]=1703}})}.

1st March 2016

• Establishment of a new commons council:
  • Bodmin Moor Commons Council (established by SI 2015/1515)

1st April 2016

• Establishment of the Tees Valley Combined Authority (a combined authority) by SI 2016/449^{({{#formlink:form=Legislation|link text=add|query string=Legislation[Type]=uksi&Legislation[Year]=2016&Legislation[Number]=449}})}

9 May 2016

Government department changes in Northern Ireland

https://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news/new-government-departments-created

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/changes-government-departments

September 2016

• Serco Ltd, as of 1 September 2016 come under the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 for the specific function of the operation of HMP Kilmarnock.
• Sodexo as a contractor running a Scottish prison in relation to HMP Addiewell

Bodies coming under FOISA on 1st September 2016 include:

• Grant aided schools
• Independent special schools listed in the Register of Independent Schools as set out in section 98 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and which fall within paragraph (a) of the definition of “special school” in section 135(1) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980
• Scottish Health Innovations Limited
• Persons providing a “secure accommodation service” as defined in paragraph 6 of schedule 12 to the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010

Establishment of a new Further Education College:

• National College for the Creative and Cultural Industries (C, by SI 2016/833^{({{#formlink:form=Legislation|link text=add|query string=Legislation[Type]=uksi&Legislation[Year]=2016&Legislation[Number]=833}})})

1st October 2016

• Creation of Pevensey and Cuckmere Water Level Management Board by SI 2016/854^{({{#formlink:form=Legislation|link text=add|query string=Legislation[Type]=uksi&Legislation[Year]=2016&Legislation[Number]=854}})}.

Late 2016 Perhaps

If the Higher Education and Research Bill becomes law http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/highereducationandresearch.html

• "United Kingdom Research and Innovation" will be created as the UK's single public research and innovation funding body. Research councils and Innovate UK will still exist but within UKRI

• The Office for Students will be created as a regulator. The Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Office for Fair Access, which supports the Director of Fair Access to Higher Education, will be wound up.

1 April 2018

Clinical Commissioning Group mergers https://digital.nhs.uk/organisation-data-service/news-and-updates/february-2018-newsletter#Clinical%20Commissioning%20Group%20mergers

Summer / Autumn 2018

North Yorkshire PCC to take on responsibility for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

The change is set to take place during the autumn.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/north-yorkshire-pcc-to-take-on-responsibility-for-north-yorkshire-fire-and-rescue-service

The same is to happen in Cambridgeshire but there's no date set yet

http://www.cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/fire-governance-consultation/

April 2019

Rumoured merger of Derbyshire's CCGs.

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.
• 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
• Planning (Wales) Act 2015 amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part II [sch1 para 5]:
  • 33A A strategic planning panel established under section 60D of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004^{({{#formlink:form=Legislation|link text=add|query string=Legislation[Type]=ukpga&Legislation[Year]=2004&Legislation[Number]=5}})} (added by Planning (Wales) Act 2015)
• Environment (Wales) Act 2016 [s 81]:
  • Abolishes the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee for Wales
  • Adds to FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI:
    • Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee or Pwyllgor Llifogydd ac Erydu Arfordirol (added by Environment (Wales) Act 2016)
• Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 adds to FOISA Schedule 1:
  • 62ZZC Community Justice Scotland (added by Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016)
• Legal Complaints and Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part VII:
  • The Legal Services Oversight Commissioner for Northern Ireland (added by Legal Complaints and Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016) [sch1 para 17]
  • The Lay Observer for Northern Ireland (removed by Legal Complaints and Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016) [sch4 para 7]
• Scottish Fiscal Commission Act 2016 [s21(2)] adds to FOISA Schedule 1:
  • 18AA The Scottish Fiscal Commission (added by Scottish Fiscal Commission Act 2016)
• Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 [s21(2)] adds to FOISA Schedule 1:
  • 90A The Scottish Land Commission (added by Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016)
• Immigration Act 2016 [sch 3 para 9] amends FOIA Schedule 1 Part VI:
  • Director of Labour Market Enforcement (added by Immigration Act 2016)
  • Gangmasters Licensing Authority (added by Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004; removed by Immigration Act 2016)
  • Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (added by Immigration Act 2016)