Information Commissioner’s Office set to get tough with public bodies that fail to comply with Freedom of Information Act

The Information Commissioner’s Office – the UK’s information regulator – is set to get tough with public bodies that fail to comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Act gives people anywhere in the world the right to see information held by more than 100,000 UK public bodies about the way in which decisions are made and public money spent, even if it relates to their competitors. Bodies will face sanctions if they regularly fail to respond on time, do not disclose information without specifying an exemption or fail altogether to respond to an information request. The ICO is concerned with the number of complaints, particularly over the time it takes to get a response. The sanctions can include enforcement notices, written undertakings, compliance with best practice recommendations and ultimately a report to Parliament.