[wdmmg-discuss] Interesting rejection of a FOI request

Wed Jul 14 11:20:05 UTC 2010

sorry that should be "spring 2011".

On Wed, 14 Jul 2010, Lisa Evans wrote:

> Julian, the WGA *is* COINS, well a big part of it, but it was not published 
> with the rest of COINS.
>
> There are no plans to publish any of the 10 years worth of "dry run" data 
> from the WGA. But the 2009/10 data will be published in spring 2010 -- I'm 
> told this report will be like company accounts level of detail.
>
> Lisa
>
> On Tue, 13 Jul 2010, Julian Todd wrote:
>
>>  This is the sort of response I got for COINS.
>>
>>  Section 35(2) says once they've made up their mind on the policy, they
>>  should release the information.  Holding onto it just because it is
>>  not complete (and may never be complete) is not good enough.
>>
>>  Do they have a time-frame when it will be complete, and when the
>>  information can be released?  Then what about the 07-08 accounts?
>>
>>  Julian.
>> 
>> 
>>
>>  On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 9:54 PM, Lisa Evans <lisa.evans at okfn.org> wrote:
>> > 
>> >  I should also add that the WGA is stored in COINS, but none of the WGA 
>> >  was
>> >  included in the COINS publication.
>> > 
>> >  On Tue, 13 Jul 2010, Lisa Evans wrote:
>> > 
>> > >  The whole of government accounts (WGA) has been running every year, 
>> > >  for 10
>> > >  years, and during this time the public have seen exactly zero results 
>> > >  from
>> > >  the exercise.
>> > > 
>> > >  The WGA gives a very detailed picture of the financial health of every
>> > >  government funded body -- so clearly would be really useful to where 
>> > >  does my
>> > >  money go.
>> > > 
>> > >  I was told by the small team at the Communities and Local Government 
>> > >  that
>> > >  the WGA 2008/09 is sitting in the Treasury. I was also told that two
>> > >  departments failed the WGA audit (the department of health and the 
>> > >  ministry
>> > >  of defense), which led to none of it being published.
>> > > 
>> > >  So I asked for that report (minus the results for the two departments 
>> > >  that
>> > >  failed the audit):
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > >  http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/whole_of_government_accounts_200#incoming-99856
>> > > 
>> > >  The rejection I got was unlike anything else I have received.
>> > > 
>> > >  They have the information I requested, but the reponse when to on say:
>> > > 
>> > >  "Ministers and officials need space in which to develop policy, 
>> > >  including
>> > >  space for the development of policy through an interative process of 
>> > >  testing
>> > >  and refining ideas. This process could be weakened if information was
>> > >  released prematurely or when proposals where not finalised, as this 
>> > >  could
>> > >  lead to poorer decision-making".
>> > > 
>> > >  Any suggestions for how to proceed are most welcome.
>> > > 
>> > > 
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>> > >  wdmmg-discuss at lists.okfn.org
>> > >  http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/wdmmg-discuss
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > > 
>> > 
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>> > 
>> 
>> 
>
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