However, as always, the devil will be in the detail so Owl is waiting to see this before celebrating. Staff expenses i formation should be fun.
Ministers have chosen not to introduce fees for Freedom of Information (FOI) requests following a review of the law.
An independent commission was asked to examine it amid concerns within government that “sensitive information” was being inadequately protected.
FOI, used by campaigners and journalists to ask questions of public bodies, was “working well”, Cabinet Office Minister Matt Hancock said.
He said there were new plans to require public bodies to reveal staff expenses.
The full findings of the Freedom of Information Commission’s review are due to be published later, but speaking ahead of its release, Mr Hancock said there would be no wholesale changes to the FOI Act.
But, as always, the more free a public body is with information in the first place, the less reliance we shall need to have on the Act.
“After 10 years, we took the decision to review the Freedom of Information Act and we have found it is working well,” he said.
“We will not make any legal changes to FOI. We will spread transparency throughout public services, making sure all public bodies routinely publish details of senior pay and perks.
“After all, taxpayers should know if their money is funding a company car or a big pay-off.”
Interestingly, despite a recommendation from a Parliamentary Select Committee, there is no mention of Electoral Services being included in the scope of FoI.
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