For immediate release
Press release
Date: 11 May 2007
Liverpool City Council criticised for Freedom of Information handling
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has criticised Liverpool City Council over its handling of requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
In a letter to Chief Executive, Colin Hilton, the ICO cites a catalogue of failings by the council to meet the requirements of the Act and outlines what the council needs to do to improve its performance.
According to the Information Commissioner’s Office the council does not have
adequate procedures in place to deal with freedom of information requests and
failed, on a number of occasions, to provide the ICO with the information required to investigate a complaint under the Act.
A practice recommendation issued by the ICO highlights the council’s ‘symptomatic poor practice in handling freedom of information requests’ and criticises the council’s failure to provide adequate advice and assistance to individuals requesting information under the Act.
The ICO will continue to monitor the council’s information request handling
procedures and performance and will assess its progress against the ICO’s
recommendations in 6 months.
Last year the ICO prosecuted Liverpool City Council for breaching the Data
Protection Act after it failed to provide an individual with their health records held by the Council, despite several warning from the ICO.
ENDS
If you need more information, please contact the Information Commissioner’s press office on 020 7025 7580 or visit the website at: www.ico.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
1. The Information Commissioner promotes public access to official information and protects personal information. The ICO is an independent body with specific responsibilities set out in the Data Protection Act 1998, the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.
2. For more information about the Information Commissioner’s Office subscribe to our enewsletter at www.ico.gov.uk
3. For a copy of the Practice Recommendation issued to Liverpool City Council please go to http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/freedom_of_information/notices/liverpool_city
_council_practice_recommendation.pdf
Press release
Date: 11 May 2007
Liverpool City Council criticised for Freedom of Information handling
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has criticised Liverpool City Council over its handling of requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
In a letter to Chief Executive, Colin Hilton, the ICO cites a catalogue of failings by the council to meet the requirements of the Act and outlines what the council needs to do to improve its performance.
According to the Information Commissioner’s Office the council does not have
adequate procedures in place to deal with freedom of information requests and
failed, on a number of occasions, to provide the ICO with the information required to investigate a complaint under the Act.
A practice recommendation issued by the ICO highlights the council’s ‘symptomatic poor practice in handling freedom of information requests’ and criticises the council’s failure to provide adequate advice and assistance to individuals requesting information under the Act.
The ICO will continue to monitor the council’s information request handling
procedures and performance and will assess its progress against the ICO’s
recommendations in 6 months.
Last year the ICO prosecuted Liverpool City Council for breaching the Data
Protection Act after it failed to provide an individual with their health records held by the Council, despite several warning from the ICO.
ENDS
If you need more information, please contact the Information Commissioner’s press office on 020 7025 7580 or visit the website at: www.ico.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
1. The Information Commissioner promotes public access to official information and protects personal information. The ICO is an independent body with specific responsibilities set out in the Data Protection Act 1998, the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.
2. For more information about the Information Commissioner’s Office subscribe to our enewsletter at www.ico.gov.uk
3. For a copy of the Practice Recommendation issued to Liverpool City Council please go to http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/freedom_of_information/notices/liverpool_city
_council_practice_recommendation.pdf
6 comments:
Crumbs what have you got to cover up, Colin?
Apart from endemic corruption on a vast scale of course.
Systematic sleaze, incredible incomptence, nepotism, bullying...
When can we see the KPMG report Tony?
Crumbs what have you got to cover up, Colin?
Apart from endemic corruption on a vast scale of course.
Systematic sleaze, incredible incomptence, nepotism, bullying...
When can we see the KPMG report Tony?
It was worth saying twice, Inspector. Pigs might fly if the full KPMG report ever sees the light of day...unless some public spirited person wantrs to leak it to us?
Little droplets, little droplets, the drip drip drip, then a river is begat.
Now at least the corrupt bastards are being watched.
The Information Commissioner is to keep Liverpool under scrutiny for six months and report back on progress, if any.
“They have wrongly hidden behind commercial confidentiality to prevent embarrassing disclosures.
“In our experience the action by the ICO commissioner is unprecedented and shows that despite the earlier warnings and prosecutions the council has failed to comply with its legal obligations.
“The council has been operating like a secret society and this must make people wonder what it has got to hide.”
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/liverpooldailypost/news/regionalnews/tm_method=full%26objectid=19104329%26siteid=50061-name_page.html
Surely now there should be some requests for SERIOUS information?
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