Johnston Press joins campaign groups protesting against Government’s approach to the Freedom of Information Act

More than 140 media bodies campaign groups and others have written to the Prime Minister expressing ‘serious concern’ at the government’s approach to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

And the editorial board of Johnston Press, our publishers, are among these groups.

They are worried a new commission might turn back the clock on the public’s right to know how government operates and how public money is spent.

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The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (and a Scottish Act from 2002) gave the public and journalists the right to ask questions about local authorities, the NHS, government departments, the police and many others – and they have to answer. But the act has not been without its critics and on July 17 the Government announced a Commission on Freedom of Information.

Publishers like Johnston Press are concerned the commission is made up of politicians who are critical of the act and people who are subject to it, who are likely to restrict its remit.

There is also concern at government plans to introduce fees for tribunal appeals when someone disagrees with a ruling by the Information Commissioner. These are currently free of charge.

The letter from publishers and campaign groups has been co-ordinated by the Campaign for Freedom of Information, a lobbying group which campaigned for several decades to have the act passed as law.

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The letter says the commission’s “purpose is to consider new restrictions to the Act”.

It points out that the Commission’s five members include two former home secretaries, a former permanent secretary and the chair of a body subject to the FOI Act.

A government perspective on the Act’s operation “will be well represented on the Commission itself” the letter says.

Among the commission members are former Home Secretary Jack Straw and Dame Patricia Hodgson. Mr Straw said the FOI act “provides too great a level of disclosure”. When in government, Mr Straw called for information about government policy formulation to be automatically withheld, regardless of any public interest in its disclosure. Mr Straw called for charges to be introduced for FOI requests and said it should be significantly easier to refuse requests on cost grounds.

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Dame Patricia Hodgson was chair of the communications regulator Ofcom. In 2012 Ofcom said “there is no doubt” the FOI Act had a “chilling effect”, discouraging the proper recording of information by public authorities. Ofcom has called for it to be made easier for authorities to refuse requests on cost grounds.

Jeremy Clifford, chairman of Johnston Press editorial board, said: “Johnston Press editors and journalists have used the FOI act consistently over the past decade to inform readers on many, many issues that directly affect them.

“We are deeply concerned at any plans to restrict the act and urge David Cameron to consider the membership of this commission and its remit.”

The letter also expresses concern at government proposals to introduce fees for tribunal appeals against the Information Commissioner’s FOI decisions, currently free.

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Government proposals would require requesters to pay £100 for an appeal based on written submissions and £600 for one involving an oral hearing.

The letter says the introduction of fees for Employment Tribunal appeals has led to a drastic decrease in the number of cases brought and says a similar effect on the number of FOI appeals is likely.

The organisations say “We regard the FOI Act as a vital mechanism of accountability which has transformed the public’s rights to information and substantially improved the scrutiny of public authorities. We would deplore any attempt to weaken it.”