The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has outlined new proposals for freedom of information (FOI) law.
Freedom of Information Act (FIA 2000) coverage will be extended to a range of bodies, including the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and UCAS. Companies that are wholly owned by more than one public authority will now be subject to FOI requests.
The MoJ will consult on whether to include other public bodies within FIA 2000 scope. From 2013, the 30-year rule on public access to the National Archives will be reduced to 20 years.
The MoJ has said it will “enhance independence” for the Information Commissioner’s Office. Extra protection will be given to communications with members of the Royal Family.
Rosemary Jay, head of information law at Pinsent Masons, says: “This is not a very big extension [of scope] and it is a continuation of policy under the previous Labour government. The extension with UCAS and ACPO was already underway. The clarification on wholly owned companies is useful and will have an impact.
“At the moment there is an exemption for communications with the Royal Family and so this is extending it further. They haven’t managed to extend it to Kate yet but it looks like preparations for the Royal wedding have already started.”
