Over 100 CSOs sign OGN evidence to the FOI Commission
Over 100 civil society organisations, ranging from national NGOs, to local community groups, and open government campaigners, to health, environment and transport charities, have signed the UK Open Government Network’s evidence to the FOI Commission, stating their support for a strong right to information :
‘We regard the Freedom of Information Act as a fundamental pillar of the UK’s openness arrangements and consider that any proposals to limit the scope and function of the FOI Act would be incompatible with the Government’s wish to be “the most open and transparent government in the world”.’
‘The decision of what information is in the public interest to disclose should not be left to government alone. Transparency is sometimes uncomfortable for governments, but in many ways that is precisely the point; only through ensuring citizens, civil society, media and the private sector are empowered to demand information from government can we ensure that we are being governed effectively and appropriately. Any discomfort felt by decision makers is far outweighed by this public interest.’
The evidence covers each of the six questions posed by the Commission, arguing that:
- It is not in the interests of the public or good government for policy deliberations to have absolute exemption from FOI. Decisions on whether information on the development of policy should be disclosed should continue to be made according to a public interest test.
- The ministerial veto should not be extended to allow the executive to overrule decisions by the courts. Ministers should be prepared to make well reasoned and evidenced cases for non-disclosure, which stand up to scrutiny in court. If the executive is unable to do this, it is right that the information in question be disclosed.
- A blanket exemption for risk assessments is unlikely to increase candour in such documents. The public acknowledgement of the existence of certain risks will enhance the public debate about major projects and their implementation. It is when risks can be silently ignored that the consequences are dramatic.
- The benefits of the FOI Act justify its cost to public authorities. The costs of FOI are minor in comparison to other comparable government expenditure (e.g. government communications), and there are numerous case studies that demonstrate that FOI has been pivotal in exposing information it was in the public’s interest to know.
- Charges for making FOI requests would be a significant threat to the openness and transparency of the UK, acting as a deterrent to legitimate FOI requests and preventing investigations across multiple organisations.
The full evidence can be read and downloaded here >>
Signatories
1 | Adam Roberts | Chief Executive | Born Free Foundation |
2 | Alan Hudson | Executive Director | Global Integrity |
3 | Alexandra Runswick | Director | Unlock Democracy |
4 | Alexandra Wigzell | Deputy Chair | Standing Committee for Youth Justice |
5 | Alison Garnham | Chief Executive | Child Poverty Action Group |
6 | Andrew Mackenzie | Coordinator | Open Data Institute Birmingham |
7 | Andrew Taylor | Climate Campaigns & Communications Manager | People & Planet |
8 | Andy Williamson | Director | Democratise |
9 | Anna Roberts | Executive Director | Burma Campaign UK |
10 | Anne Thurston | Director | International Records Management Trust |
11 | Anthony Zacharzewski | Director | Democratic Society |
12 | Carol McKenna | Director of Campaigns | Compassion in World Farming |
13 | Catarina Tully | Director | FromOverHere |
14 | Cathy James | Chief Executive | Public Concern at Work |
15 | Charles Oppenheim | Professor of Information Management | |
16 | Charlie Harvey | IT Director | New Internationalist |
17 | Charlotte Ravenscroft | Head of Policy and Public Services | National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) |
18 | Chris Taggart | CEO | OpenCorporates |
19 | Chris Whitwell | Director | Friends, Families and Travellers |
20 | Colm Burns | Chair | Northern Ireland Open Government Network |
21 | Dan Wilson Craw | Policy & Communications Manager | Generation Rent |
22 | Danny Sriskandarajah | CEO | Civicus |
23 | David Hills | Head of IT | UWC Atlantic College |
24 | David Miller | Founder | Spinwatch |
25 | Deborah King | Cofounder | Disability Politics UK |
26 | Derek Manson-Smith | Former Co-convener | Campaign for Freedom of Information Scotland |
27 | Diana Neslen | Chair | Redbridge Equalities and Community Council |
28 | Duncan Exley | Director | The Equality Trust |
29 | Ed Hammond | Head of Programmes | Centre for Public Scrutiny |
30 | Edafe Onerhime | Consultant | ACT Collective Ltd |
31 | Eithne Rynne | CEO | London Voluntary Service Council |
32 | Faryal Velmi | Director | Transport for All |
33 | Fionn Travers-Smith | Campaign Manager | Move Your Money UK |
34 | Gail Bradbrook | Director | Compassionate Revolution |
35 | Gavin MacFadyen | Director | Centre for Investigative Journalism |
36 | Gay Moon | EDF Legal Fellow | Equality and Diversity Forum |
37 | Graham Gordon | Head of Policy | CAFOD |
38 | Graham Smith | Professor of Politics | Centre for the Study of Democracy |
39 | Helen Darbishire | Executive Director | Access Info Europe |
40 | Henrietta Doyle | Policy Officer | Inclusion London |
41 | Ian Lawry | CEO | sobus |
42 | Jacqui Howard | National Organiser | Compass |
43 | Jamie Griffiths | Campaigner | Debt Resistance UK |
44 | Jane Linney | Founding Director | Disability Enabling & Empowerment Project |
45 | Jen Persson | Coordinator | DefendDigitalMe |
46 | Jenny Nelson | Organiser | Red Pepper |
47 | Jim Killock | Executive Director | Open Rights Group |
48 | Jo Ram | Co-founder | Community Reinvest |
49 | Joe Taylor | National Community Activists Network | |
50 | Joel Benjamin | Campaigner | The People vs PFI |
51 | John Chambers | Chief Executive | Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland) |
52 | John Lotherington | Chair | Foundation for Democracy and Sustainable Development |
53 | Jon Abrams | Promotion and Liaison Officer | Redbridge Concern for Mental Health |
54 | Jon Alexander | Director | New Citizenship Project |
55 | Jonathan Gray | Director of Policy and Research | Open Knowledge |
56 | Joseph Stead | Senior Adviser Economic Justice | Christian Aid |
57 | Joy Saunders | CEO | Integrity Action |
58 | Julian Huppert | Former MP | |
59 | Julian Tait | Co-founder | Open Data Manchester |
60 | Julie Pal | CEO | CommUNITY Barnet |
61 | Justin Schlosberg | Chair | Media Reform Coalition |
62 | Kat Smithson | Policy and Campaigns Manager | National AIDS Trust |
63 | Kaye Brennan | Lead Campaigner: Policy & Advocacy | The Woodland Trust |
64 | Laura Cockram | Campaigns Manager | Parkinson’s UK |
65 | Loz Kaye | Co-founder | Open Intelligence |
66 | Mariam Cook | Founder | PositionDial |
67 | Marilyn Taylor | Professor of Urban Governance and Regeneration | |
68 | Mark Braggins | Director/Founder | AHA Digital Ltd/Open Data Aha! |
69 | Mark Cridge | Chief Executive | MySociety |
70 | Matthew Downie | Director of Policy and External Affairs | Crisis |
71 | Mike Childs | Acting Policy and Campaign Director | Friends of the Earth |
72 | Miles Litvinoff | Coordinator | Publish What You Pay UK |
73 | Moira Fraser | Director of Policy and Research | Carers Trust |
74 | Nan Sloane | Director | Centre for Women & Democracy |
75 | Natalie Sharples | Senior Policy Advisor | Health Poverty Action |
76 | Nick Beddow | Managing Director | Shared Places |
77 | Nick Lowles | Executive Director | HOPE not hate |
78 | Nim Njuguna | Chair | Kenya Diaspora Bureau (UK) |
79 | Oliver Sidorczuk | Director | Bite The Ballot |
80 | Paul Bradshaw | Professor in Online Journalism | |
81 | Pavan Dhaliwal | Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns | British Humanist Association |
82 | Penelope Gibbs | Director | Transform Justice |
83 | Phil Booth | Coordinator | MedConfidential |
84 | Prateek Buch | Member | Open Government Network |
85 | Rachel Oldroyd | Managing Director | Bureau of Investigative Journalism |
86 | Remmert Keijzer | Research Coordinator | The Consultation Institute |
87 | Richard Murphy | Director | Tax Research UK |
88 | Rita Chadha | CEO | Refugee & Migrant Forum of Essex and London |
89 | Robert Barrington | Executive Director | Transparency International UK |
90 | Robin McAlpine | Director | Common Weal |
91 | Ruchir Shah | Policy Manager | Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) |
92 | Rupert Simons | CEO | Publish What You Fund |
93 | Sally Young | Chief Executive | Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service |
94 | Sarah Johns | Transparency Adviser | Bond |
95 | Simon Burall | Director | Involve |
96 | Simon Taylor | Director | Global Witness |
97 | Stewart Wallis | Executive Director | New Economics Foundation |
98 | Stuart Lawson | Doctoral Researcher in Open Access | |
99 | Team | WhatDoTheyKnow | |
100 | Team | Open Data Services Co-operative | |
101 | Thomas Hughes | Executive Director | ARTICLE 19 |
102 | Tim Davies | Co-director | Practical Participation |
103 | Tim Hughes | Coordinator | UK Open Government Network |
104 | Tom Kearney | Campaigner | Safer Oxford Street |
105 | Tom Skinner | Coordinator | Greater Manchester Living Wage Campaign |
106 | Tracey Lazard | CEO | Inclusion London |
107 | Tris Lumley | Head of Development | New Philanthropy Capital |
108 | Val Stevenson | Chair of Trustees | The Pavement |
Update (21/11/2015)
- Tom Kearney, Safer Oxford Street, was added as a signatory
Update (23/11/2015)
- Jayne Linney, Disability Enabling & Empowerment Project, was added as a signatory
- Jenny Nelson, Red Pepper, was added as a signatory
Update (25/11/2015)
- Jo Ram, Community Reinvest, was added as a signatory
- Tracey Lazard, Inclusion London, was added as a signatory
Update (30/11/2015)
- Sally Young, Newcastle Council for Voluntary Services, was added as a signatory
Founding Director of Disability Enabling & Empowerment Project -DEAEP