Comments on: Freedom of information is better value than most government http://heatherbrooke.org/2006/freedom-of-information-is-better-value-than-most-government/ Heather Brooke is an award-winning writer, journalist and activist Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:17:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Td http://heatherbrooke.org/2006/freedom-of-information-is-better-value-than-most-government/comment-page-1/#comment-1131 Td Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:59:44 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/2006/freedom-of-information-is-better-value-than-most-government/#comment-1131 As Wat Tyler pointed out on his blog, <a HREF="http://burningourmoney.blogspot.com/2006/10/more-trough-snufflings.html" rel="nofollow">Burning Our Money</a>, £35m pa is peanuts in the scheme of things. But according to the report, a large proportion of the costs can be attributed to internal reviews (you can request a review of a decision not to supply information): 'On average internal reviews cost £1,208 compared to £254 for an initial request'. So it seems to me that one way to reduce costs would be to cut down on the number of refusals! The report claims that MPs are a key category of FoI requestor. Unfortunately the report does not mention the proportion of requests made by MPs (however it does seem to single out journalists). MPs have made complaints in Parliament about having to use the Act to request information that they believe should be supplied to them as a matter of course. This suggests another potential saving. As Wat Tyler pointed out on his blog, Burning Our Money, £35m pa is peanuts in the scheme of things.

But according to the report, a large proportion of the costs can be attributed to internal reviews (you can request a review of a decision not to supply information): ‘On average internal reviews cost £1,208 compared to £254 for an initial request’.

So it seems to me that one way to reduce costs would be to cut down on the number of refusals!

The report claims that MPs are a key category of FoI requestor. Unfortunately the report does not mention the proportion of requests made by MPs (however it does seem to single out journalists).

MPs have made complaints in Parliament about having to use the Act to request information that they believe should be supplied to them as a matter of course. This suggests another potential saving.

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