The government is still pondering crippling the FOI act parliamentary questions suggest
My latest blog at Relight My FOIA, on the government's refusal to put to bed speculation it still plans to kneecap the Freedom of Information Act in response to PQs
relightmyfoia.blog/2026/04/17/g...
BREAKING: We’re taking the government to court over Palantir.
The government is refusing to hand over important briefings given to Wes Streeting about the £330m NHS data contract with Peter Thiel’s surveillance firm
So we’re taking legal action.
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-w...
⚖️CFOI supports a proposed judicial review of the govt’s failure to publish environmental information proactively.” The action is being brought by @bwebster135.bsky.social, a former Environment Editor of The Times.”
Support his crowdfunder below.
www.crowdjustice.com/case/governm...
@alexparsons.bsky.social has been thinking about the increased demand on public systems created by #AI - not just #FOI but for all areas where the public interface with government.
Here's a suggestion for an approach that can work for the public benefit:
www.mysociety.org/2026/04/14/r...
How can we protect and expand FOI?
@mysociety.org have written up the first workshop exploring what an FOI Network could do to help www.mysociety.org/2026/04/14/f...
The second workshop, on how a Network could support journalists and specialist users, is... TOMORROW!
Sign up: luma.com/y12euvs2
Round up by @juliacushion.bsky.social of the case against restricting FOI www.mysociety.org/2026/04/08/t...
Eleanor Shaikh discovered FOI when she saw how the Post Office Horizon software was affecting her own local sub Postmaster - if you watched 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office', you'll know what we're talking about.
What Eleanor has achieved with FOI since then is nothing short of remarkable.
⚖️Court of Session overrules Scottish Information Commissioner in high-profile FOI dispute
Commissioner criticised for “minimising” weight of legal professional privilege.
www.scotcourts.gov.uk/media/zzgbx5...
We will reach a decision and respond to 90% of FOI concerns within six months: Last year, Q3 24/25 - 94.6% (Green); Previous, Q2 25/26 - 86.9% (Amber); Latest, Q3 25/26 - 79.0% (Red)
The ICO has just released its latest performance monitoring report, which confirms how FOI complaints have rapidly increased and its backlog has correspondingly got much worse - it's now taking over 6 months for non-priority cases to be allocated to a case officer
35. With regard to MPS’s current performance levels the Commissioner is particularly concerned that: • MPS is not able to commit to achieving 90% compliance within a certain timeframe; • Over 100 requests were overdue as at 13 February 2026; and • MPS is achieving only just over 70% compliance, and has never achieved over 75.9%, when nearly a quarter of requests were still not answered on time. 36. As previously noted, the Commissioner acknowledges the positive engagement he has received from MPS’s information rights staff. However, it is the responsibility of MPS as an organisation as a whole, including at its highest levels, to ensure that it is meeting its statutory FOI duties. Therefore, the Commissioner expects MPS to ensure that it is not left to its information rights staff alone to meet the requirements of the Notice. Senior leaders within MPS need to take ownership and responsibility for achieving compliance with this Notice. 37. The Commissioner considers it unacceptable for the largest UK police force’s compliance with the timeliness obligations of FOIA to be so far removed from the law set by Parliament and his minimum expected standard for compliance.
The Information Commissioner has issued another Enforcement Notice against the Met Police, due to the Met's persistently inadequate and unacceptably poor record on responding to FOI requests
What better time for an online workshop from the FOI Network on...
How might an FOI Network encourage the protection and expansion of Freedom of Information in the UK?
Join us online at midday on Wednesday 1 April to discuss luma.com/erlh5p2b
📣Two NHS Trusts subject to latest ICO enforcement action
Regulator finds lack of resources did not excuse FOI failings
ico.org.uk/media2/yjapy...
ico.org.uk/media2/r4tdn...
Text reads: New FoI code of practice published Photo shows documents
Text reads: On the 25th of March, a new Code of Practice relating to Freedom of Information practice was published. It provides updated and improved guidance on public bodies compliance with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FoISA). The new guidance can help requestors to formulate their requests, as well as assist FoI practitioners when responding to requests. CFoIS
Text reads: The new code includes updated guidance on: responsibility for FOI within an authority; proactively publishing information; the provision of advice and assistance by authorities to people who propose to make, or have made, requests for information; responding to requests; handling a request for information; training and staffing arrangements; records management and searching for information; transferring requests to other authorities; CFoIS
Text reads: consulting third parties to whom information requested relates, or people whose interests are likely to be affected by the disclosure of such information; the disclosure of contractual and procurement-related information; responding to reviews; monitoring compliance, collecting and recording statistics about request handling; and appeals to the Commissioner. CFoIS
A new Code of Practice relating to Freedom of Information was published yesterday.
Read the Code here: www.gov.scot/publications...
#freedomofinformation #accesstoinformation #politics #scotland #foi
Text reads: Secret Scotland Will the Scottish Government face another court case over FoI non-compliance? CFoIS Graphic shows a redacted document
Text reads: The Scottish Information Commissioner has said that he is considering a second contempt of court case over the Scottish Government’s handling of an FoI request related to the Hamilton Inquiry. At First Minister’s Questions on 19th March 2026, Katy Clark MSP asked FM John Swinney if he will commit to providing all the information required under decision notice 193/2024 and sought reassurance that he is not considering using the First Minister’s veto, under s52 of FoISA, to keep the information secret from the public.
Text reads: The First Minister avoided answering whether or not he will use the Ministerial veto, a power which has not been used since FoISA came into effect in 2005. Katy Clark MSP’s Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill, introduced to Parliament in June 2025, seeks to remove the First Minister’s veto power, a provision that the SPPA Committee’s Stage 1 Report supported. The Bill passed Stage 1 and is set to return in the next session of Parliament.
Text reads: CFoIS encourages everyone to support the Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill at Stages 2 and 3 in the new session of Parliament, after the 7th of May, and promises to raise these and other issues as the Bill progresses. These kind of problems simply strengthen the case that FoISA needs reformed urgently to close legal loopholes and strengthen the enforcement powers of the independent Commissioner.
Will the Scottish Government face another court case over FoI non-compliance? Read the Scottish Information Commissioner’s full statement at www.foi.scot/preposterous...
#FoIReformNow #secretscotland #freedomofinformation #foi #accesstoinformation
Officials have been anonymously briefing about the threat of FOI laws to national security in the FT.
I've written a blog on Relight My FOI as to why a crackdown on transparency using the vague excuse of China would be a bad move.
relightmyfoia.blog/2026/03/18/p...
📣Row deepens over Sturgeon inquiry handling
Latest criticism follows 'embarrassing' release of error-strewn James Hamilton files
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
I've been digging through the first tranche of the Mandelson files so you don't have to.
You can explore the key documents here 👇
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
@natejones.bsky.social & team found “jaw-dropping admissions” from federal agencies about how the FOIA process has broken down across the US government, after cuts to FOIA staff, confirming the dire concerns of folks like me raised in 2025.
Gift link:
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
Maurice Frankel, CFOI Director, said: “This important legal challenge would increase pressure for government and public bodies to publish, not stifle, inconvenient environmental reports".
Please follow the link below to show your support!
🎤Watch Maurice take part in a FOI Fest panel reflecting on 21 years of FOI, the impact of enforcement, and shifts in public authority culture.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg_S...
🎤See CFOI Director Maurice Frankel’s talk from the FOI Fest on the cost limit here. He shares insights on why asking for more information can sometimes mean getting none, and how a little research can go a long way.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI1U...
📣FOI and International Women's Day
Metropolitan police mishandling of violence against women highlighted by recent Times FOI battle
🎙️Listen to CFOI Director Maurice Frankel OBE on the latest episode of the Guardians of Data Podcast, discussing the remarkable story behind the UK’s FOI Act
Do not miss previous podcasts with the excellent @jonbainesdata.bsky.social and @lynnwyeth.bsky.social!
actnowtraining.blog/2026/03/04/g...
🎉Huge thank you to the organisers of the #eCaseFOIAwards. It was a pleasure to spend time with so many colleagues from across the UK.
Congratulations also to all winners - it was inspiring to hear their important work being recognised!
#eCaseFOIAwards #FOI2026 #transparency #accountabilitymatters!
📣FOI requests inform important new Channel 4 drama
True to life series highlights “scandalous state of Britain’s rivers”
#DirtyBusiness #UKsewagecrisis #Environmentagency #transparency #accountability
www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
📣Reform Mayor pursues fracking in Greater Lincolnshire
FOI disclosures reveal council’s Mayor has met US fracking firm on at least four occasions
#GreaterLincolnshireCombinedCountyAuthority #Reform #fracking #transparency #accountability
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
📣US FOI data undermines Dept of Homeland Security’s case for immigration crackdown
77% of first time arrestees from January to mid August 2025 had no criminal conviction - and most convictions were for traffic offences, not for violence or drugs
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Civil service ethics head hired by civil service ‘in breach of its own ethics rules’
www.thetimes.com/article/32df...
For the day that’s in it would really recommend reading this piece and watching video with Andrew Lownie about carefully curated narrative was created around Andrew - and ‘policed by armies of lawyers and PR people’ and a pliant media.
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/inside-the...
📣FOI requests about Andrew still blocked despite growing scrutiny of his time as Trade Envoy
Long-standing concerns about conduct and misuse of taxpayer funds do not appear to facilitate transparency
#Epsteinfiles #AndrewMountbatten #transparency #accountability
www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-fam...
