Allister Welcomes Information Commissioner Monitoring of OFMdFM
21 December 2012
Statement by North Antrim MLA Jim Allister:
“I welcome the fact that the Information Commissioner’s Officer is to monitor the Office of the First and deputy First Minister for three months in the New Year “over concerns about the timeliness of their responses to Freedom of Information requests”.
“OFMdFM is one of only four public authorities across the UK to be subjected to such monitoring because they failed to respond to 85% of FOI requests within the statutory 20 day limit. Indeed, the ICO picks out Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness’s office for particular criticism, noting that “the OFMDFM performance statistics for all requests received during 2011 show that only just over half were answered on time, with further delays encountered this year.”
“In March it emerged that the Northern Ireland Executive had made a a submission to the House of Commons Justice Select Committee which was reviewing the operation of the Freedom of Information Act in which they suggested charging the public for asking questions about how they spent taxpayers’ money.
“As well as suggesting that the public be charged for making FOI requests Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness proposed that the identity of the person making the request should be made known and that civil servants should be able to charge more of their time towards the £600 limit for getting information.
“These proposals were clearly designed to discourage the public from making requests as their identity will be disclosed – something which rightly does not happen when it comes to civil servants named in documents disclosed under FOI as their personal details are redacted and will mean that departments will reach the £600 limit much more quickly meaning that many more requests will be refused on cost grounds.
“OFMdFM’s utter contempt for their duties under the Freedom of Information Act is a problem which both I and many journalists have encountered time and time again. In fact, anyone who has experience of trying to use the Freedom of Information Act to extract information from OFMdFM will know that this is a tortuous process which can go on for months as officials often use spurious exception arguments in order to conceal embarrassing facts and figures.
“Many will remember that former First Minister Ian Paisley claimed that requests “are sent in by lazy journalists, who will not do any work, but who think that we should pay them [sic] and give them the information that they want.” Of course, public money has never had to pay journalists – but it has been used to flood news rooms with propaganda from Executive press offices – which cost £5 million a year to run.
“Since becoming an MLA, OFMdFM has consistently failed to answer written questions submitted by me within the 10 day limit required by Standing Orders. Some questions tabled in September 2011 – 15 months ago – remain unanswered.
“Both Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness should be ashamed that their shambolic and secretive office has been exposed as among the worst in the UK when it comes to Freedom of Information requests. I very much hope that this action by the Commissioner will force a culture change within OFMdFM.”
Note to editors
The press release from the Information Commissioner’s Office is online here http://www.ico.gov.uk/news/latest_news/2012/ico-announces-latest-list-of-authorities-for-foi-monitoring-21122012.aspx and the NI Executive submission to Westminster’s Justice Committee is online here http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmjust/writev/foi/foi.pdf. Scroll down to FOI 74.
