Matthew Hancock

Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General

Cabinet Office

70 Whitehall

London SW1A 2AS                                                                                         

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10th December 2015

Dear Matthew,

Review of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 & possible introduction of financial charges

As Green Party elected representatives, we are writing to express our growing concern about the direction of travel of the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information – as indicated by recent ministerial statements – and, in particular, to urge you and ministerial colleagues to rule out the introduction of financial charges for Freedom of Information (FoI) requests.

The FoI Act exists to help citizens hold government to account, and help evaluate public policies and services. Transparent and accountable decision-making is essential to a successful democracy, and we are clear in our own minds that the FoI Act has been – and must continue to be – fundamental to improving the way we do politics in this country.

We note that the Act was subject to thorough scrutiny as recently as three years ago, by the Conservative majority justice select committee of MPs. After taking evidence from senior politicians, civil servants, academics, journalists and civil society organisations, the committee concluded that the Act has “enhanced the UK’s democratic system” and has made our public bodies – including local authorities – “more open, accountable and transparent.” The committee addressed all that the Independent Commission has ostensibly been set up to consider, and was clear both that the Act is a success story and that it should not be diminished.

Furthermore, in its submission to the Independent Commission, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) states that it considers the current checks and balances in the Act to be “sufficient”. In particular, the ICO praises the press and media’s use of the Act, highlighting recent stories by the BBC, Sun, Daily Mail, Times, Guardian and others.

To that list we would add the numerous exposures of misuse of taxpayers’ money by local newspapers such as The Argus in Brighton. In the words of Mike Gilson, editor of The Argus, the Act “has been a vital tool in opening up the sort of

detail and fact that fuels debate in a properly democratic society.” And the floated £20 charge for each FoI request “would put requests out of reach of individuals and cash-strapped local newspapers.”

We urge you to work with all political parties on how to improve – not restrict – the Act, not least by extending its scope to private contractors in the public sector, and to make a start by ruling out the imposition of such financial charges.

Yours sincerely,