[okfn-discuss] Close the FOI loophole - Early Day Motion

Sun Jan 31 15:47:53 UTC 2010

The Freedom of Information Act can be very useful but it is nowhere
near as comprehensive as it should be.  I am currently trying to close
one of the worst loopholes which means that a company wholly owned by
one local authority is subject to the act but a company owned by two
local authorities is not.  I have persuaded my MP to submit an Early
Day Motion on this:

“That this House notes that section 6 of the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 with certain exceptions makes companies wholly owned by the
Crown or by a single public authority subject to the Act; further
notes that a company wholly owned by two or more public authorities or
95 per cent. owned by a single public authority will be outside the
scope of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and calls for the
closure of this loophole and for companies owned 90 per cent. or more
by any number of public authorities to be subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.”

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40168&SESSION=903

Please follow the above link and if your MP has not signed please
write to them [http://www.writetothem.com/] and try to persuade them.
There is a good example letter here:

http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/uk-freedom-of-information-act-to-be-extended.html#comment-26735

Just think of the data sets that could be obtained companies like
these are made subject to FOI:

    * Connexions Nottinghamshire Limited – provides support services
to young people and is jointly owned by Nottingham City Council and
Nottinghamshire County Council.
    * Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) – this company is the
official agency for the collection, analysis and dissemination of
quantitative information about higher education.
    * Manchester Airport PLC – the Manchester Airport Group is owned
by the ten local authorities of Greater Manchester
    * The Russell Group – is owned by, and represents 20 of the UK’s
largest universities, the company aims “to influence and make
representations to stakeholders and legislators”

There is more information here:
http://www.mysociety.org/2010/01/20/foia-loophole/ .  Please do write
to your MP.

thank you

John

-- 
John Cross