Upcoming Events :
Seminar: Outsourcing and Contract Procurement
Tue 28 Feb 2012
Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, London, SE1 9BB
Council charging for FOI requests
Tue 03 Aug 2010
Cheshire West and Chester Council is to begin charging people who submit Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
According to the authority, it is completely in favour of making local government open and transparent.
However, council leader Mike Jones believes many of the FOI requests it has been receiving are "ridiculous".
This, he said, means that taxpayers' money is being used to answer trivial questions at a time of financial stringency.
Councillor Jones noted that some of the FOI queries request "copious detail", which means lots of time and resources go towards researching the necessary information.
In addition, he stated that some businesses are using the legislation as a means of carrying out market research at the taxpayers' expense.
Councillor Jones described the aim of the FOI Act as commendable, but said the legislation is increasingly being manipulated and misused.
The current laws, which were introduced a decade ago, apply to public sector bodies including government departments, local assemblies, health trusts, hospitals, schools, museums and police forces.
James Oxley, a solicitor at Winckworth Sherwood, commented: "Whilst the government's aim of greater transparency can be commended, this drive for transparency is leading to an increase in the administrative burden and costs for many public bodies at a time when they are being expected to significantly reduce their costs."
