Government refuses access to FOI data

Government refuses access to FOI data

The Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA) has refused a request to make public the data behind a controversial report.

The DCA, which is in charge of policy for the Freedom of Information Act, commissioned a report by Frontier Economics who analysed data that had been gathered about the cost of processing FOI requests. Maurice Frankel, of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, requested the background information to the report but has been refused access to it.

The Frontier Economics report found that the processing of FOI requests costs public bodies £35 million a year and could influence Government thinking about limiting the numbers of FOI requests and the charging structure relating to requests.

Government turns down FOI request for FOI data (Out-Law, 31 October 2006)