You are here: silicon.com > Hardware > Storage

Storage

Journalists seize on Freedom of Information Act

4,000 requests made in one month

By Jo Best

Published: 2 February 2005 14:00 GMT

The Freedom of Information Act, designed to give the public more access to information and insight into the workings of government, has seen a raft of queries in its first month.

The Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, said that since the Act came into force on 1 January of this year, 4,000 requests for information were made by the public.

The National Archives topped the chart for requests, notching up 600 demands for information from the public, with the Ministry of Defence second, followed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Around 100,000 are obliged to answer to queries from the public, including local authorities, although sensitive areas are excluded from the Act - information on areas of national security, for example.

So far, queries have been answered on subjects ranging from restaurant hygiene inspections to loaned artwork and ministerial residences.

Half of the requests made under the Freedom of Information Act have come from journalists, according to the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

  1. Zones
  2. Management
  3. Networks
  4. Software
  5. IT Services
  6. Hardware
  1. Verticals
  2. Public Sector
  3. Financial Services
  4. Retail & Leisure

Seb Janacek Minority Report: Mac Mini - a real nowhere machine What could it have become with a little more love and attention?

Bethan Jones Can I use a netbook as my everyday work machine? Part II silicon.com sub editor reveals whether her netbook delivered


  • Jobs
Internal Multilingual Sales - EMEA (Technical)

More specifically, your duties will consist of: Answering to any information queries Providing customers with product information Preparing replies ...

Project Manager - Migration

Regular UK wide travel will be expected, as well as some occasional foreign travel. The role will involve some foreign travel. Project Manager - ...

Product Support/Developer .NET

Product Support/Developer .NETMake an immediate impact in education technology.Hobsons is a technology-driven company with heavy emphasis on the ...

Agenda Setters 2009
Welcome to the ninth annual Agenda Setters poll – silicon.com's list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the technology and IT industries, from techies and CIOs to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Find out more in our latest special report.





Quick Sitemap Links: