New measures will mean an increase in the number of organisations to which FOI requests can be made, including private companies and bodies that perform 'functions of a public nature'
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The Ministry of Justice today unveiled plans to extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to include other bodies, including private companies.
The new measures will mean an increase in the number of organisations to which FOI requests can be made, including bodies such as the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Financial Services Ombudsman, as well as any company wholly owned by a number of public authorities. The department said today it is also consulting on including a range of other bodies that perform "functions of a public nature". This would include examination boards, harbour authorities and the Local Government Association.
The measures announced today also include making most public records available at the National Archives and other "places of deposit" ten years earlier than the current 30 year rule.
"The public deserves a Government that is open and accountable for its actions," Justice Minister Lord McNally said in the report.
"I am delighted to announce this package of measures to extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act, which will give people additional tools to find out whether thousands of UK bodies are acting in the public interest and providing value for money."
In a speech earlier today at the Institute for Government the deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said progress with the legislation had "stalled".
"We still live in a society where important information is hoarded by the few. And, as we know, information is knowledge, and knowledge is power.
"And yet, where information is available, people use it in innovative and empowering ways."
He added that organisations whose behaviour and decisions "have clear consequences for the public good" should also be opened up.
BBC News: Hundreds more organisations could be covered by FOI law New online platform aims to open up company data
