Watchdog gets more than 1,000 FoI complaints

The UK's data protection watchdog claims public bodies are adhering to the spirit of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, despite receiving more than 1,000 complaints since January about authorities failing to comply with the law.

The FoI Act was introduced on 1 January, 2005, giving the public the right to request access to information held by 100,000 public bodies and government departments, which have a 20-day deadline to provide the data or explain why it is being withheld.

In the seven months since its introduction the Information Commission (IC) has received 1,157 complaints about refusals to disclose information or failure to meet the 20-day deadline. The IC has issued decision notices on just 19 of these although many have been resolved informally.

One of the most recent adjudications found the Cabinet Office had failed to meet the 20-day deadline for a request for all emails and letters between the Prime Minister and his adviser Andrew Adonis.

But information commissioner Richard Thomas said most public bodies and departments are complying with requests for information.

"Secrecy without good reason is no longer an option. The FoI Act is clearly making an impact and I am encouraged that it is being taken very seriously by most public authorities," he said in the IC's annual report on Wednesday.

Around half of the FoI complaints made to the IC involve procedural issues and Thomas said this shows some public authorities are still not clear about their obligations under the Act.

This has led to the IC issuing a list of "top tips" to help government bodies comply with the FoI Act. These include being proactive, anticipating likely requests and making each decision on its own merit without the fear of setting a precedent.