Freedom of Information Bill wins mixed reviews

摘要

The draft Freedom of Information Bill has been labelled a 'revolution' in constitutional reform by supporters, and a watered down 'cop-out' by critics. Presented by Home Secretary Jack Straw last week, the Bill provides a statutory right of access to information held by public authorities and imposes a duty on them to adopt a scheme for the publication of information. Authorities are expected to provide the service out of their own pockets but can charge up to 10% of the marginal cost of locating the data. The Bill also requires public authorities to consider disclosing information over and above that required by statute in the public interest. Access to actual documents or recordings can also be requested.