[okfn-discuss] Petition to Improve Freedom of Information Act 2000

Mon Jan 5 21:22:48 UTC 2009

Hello,
I am new to this list but I would like to tell you about a petition on
the 10 Downing Street website.  At present Section 6 of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 makes companies that are 100% owned by the Crown
or by a single public authority subject to the Act.

The current law is not sensible - a company owned by one local
authority is subject to the Act but a company owned by two local
authorities is not.  A more sensible approach is to make all companies
owned two thirds or more by any number of public authorities subject
to the Act.

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to support a change to
the law to make companies owned two thirds or more by public
authorities subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000."

sign it here: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/publiccompanies/

If you have a few minutes please sign it today.  We are currently on
96 signatures so your signature could help us reach 100.

Examples of companies that could become subject to Act under these rules:

- Manchester Airport Group plc [MAG is wholly owned by the ten local
authorities of Greater Manchester with Manchester City Council owning
55%. ]

- The Russell Group of Universities [a company limited by guarantee
controlled by 20 of the largest universities in the UK, the
universities themselves are subject to the Freedom of Information Act]

- many housing associations

If any of you would like me to inform you about similar freedom of
information campaigns in future please send me an email as I will not
necessarily post about every campaign on this list.  I would be
grateful if you could forward this to anyone you know who you think
might be interested.

thanks for your time,

John

-- 
John Cross
mrjohncross at googlemail.com

freedom of information - http://confirm-or-deny.blogspot.com/
improve democracy - STVAction.org.uk