08 October 2004
Government bodies have issued new guidance on public servants' responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act, amid concerns that some organisations are ill-prepared for its implementation.
The National Audit Office has teamed up with the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Information Commissioner's Office to remind public bodies how to comply with the Act once it comes into force in January 2005.
The new guide, Counting down: moving from need to know to right to know, states that 'in general, government bodies have made good progress' towards meeting their FoI commitments.
But, despite claims that the guide is not an assessment of individual organisations' preparedness, the NAO identifies 'significant challenges that will have to be met if requests for information are to be dealt with promptly, efficiently and correctly'.
It follows concerns outlined in an earlier ICO report that unnamed Whitehall departments, for example, had failed to publicise their reporting procedures.
The FoI Act will grant members of the public access to recorded information from over 100,000 public bodies. Organisations will have to respond to requests for relevant information within 20 days.
The guide cites examples of good practice at public bodies prepared for the changeover. The UK Atomic Energy Authority, for example, has anticipated increased interest in its work and is preparing to flood its website with new information. It is also recruiting former senior civil servants to deal with the first wave of enquiries.
Other organisations praised by the NAO include the Ministry of Defence, which will place FoI awareness material in staff pay slips before January, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which will produce 'access to information' awareness packs.
PFoct2004
