Hello, and welcome to another week.
Freedom of Information requests have become incredibly popular since the service’s inception in 2005, as more and more people use these requests to hold the government to account over suspected failings within public service. But a new type of request is becoming popular – those requests made by corporations to elicit information about their target markets.
In a very interesting news item over at one of our favourite online journals The Conversation, one Research Team describe their two year fight to protect their research on the smoking habits of teenagers from tobacco giant Philip Morris – who made a Freedom of Information request for the data, so they could access it. Legally, the company was allowed to access that information – but the media’s reporting of the request and public pressure eventually put an end to the request being pursued.
Philip Morris say they wanted the information to test whether or not the government’s claims about plain packaging of cigarettes has any merit. The public took the view the tobacco company wanted to be able to make a case against this type of packaging, so that they could continue to maximise their profitability.
However, not everyone thinks this new type of request should be blocked by social conscience. In this piece, the author suggests that legitimate FOI requests should not be blocked, even if we don’t like them, and even if they appear to be made with the intention of being used for nefarious purposes, or to embarrass the government.
FOI requests by their nature are open and transparent and whilst exceptions do exist as to what cannot be made public – as many who have tried to extract sensitive government data and failed, will know – this piece suggests that less transparency in the form of request blocking would simply drive big business underground and make it more secretive still.
Our question to you then, is just this: should we be looking at extending the restrictions for FOI requests, or does the answer lie elsewhere, in our laws and policy on smoking and child welfare generally, or is everything just fine as it is?
YES requests by parents for information regarding their children in long term fostercare or adoption.
All parents so requesting, should be entitled to a detailed report from a genuinely independent social worker once per year concerning the activities and general welfare of their offspring.
FOI requests should be for all! If you talk about transparency then it must be for all regardless of motives. You cannot be selective.
That applies to what is being held back unless it’s blocked for national security. Requests to the MOJ go unanswered. Why?
FOI should be clear and understandable. If requests are made and data isn’t held by the organisation that is asked, then they shoul say who does hold it, they should not be evasive. When thet could answer it, they should do so. People are fed up of the lies & hypocrisy.
Of course FOIs are not wanted by those that have something to hide! So why is the government trying to stop them?
Natasha, On your Twitter feed you mention Children had to uninate on the floor as they were lock in and not allowed out! I would want to know why those children were locked in a room, without supervision and who was the crass cruel idiot who gave the instruction?
It is time that the British Governments made a public apology to all of the abused trafficked and murdered children all dating back 100s of years to the days of the poor laws, the work houses the boat children fostering adoptions and Mr Barnado who sold untold 1.000s of kids to Australia and Canada and still to date the child abuse goes on with more of the Paedophiles being named, but in the mean time millions of more pounds are being set aside for more talks into child abuse. The bloody British Governments have a lot to answer to, even the program THE HEIR HUNTERS have picked up on families trying to trace families who were adopted or fostered, and to hear families say we did not know we had brothers and sisters how sad.
SOME YEARS AGO A MAN IN A HIGH POSTION IN GOVERNMENT LOST A CHILD IN DEATH, I WROTE AND SAID ALTHOUGH THE NATION MOURNS FOR THE LOSS OF A CHILD AT LEAST THAT CHILD IS AT REST, BUT WHAT OF THE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN IN THE SYSTEM THESE CHILDREN CAN NEVER BE LAID TO REST UNTIL THE FAMILIES KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
I ASK THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO APOLOGISE PUBLICLY TO THE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.
as you and many people are aware some months ago I handed in a letter to Cameron at NO 10 asking for storybooks from families to children in care, (Families forever stories) be allowed as prisoners are allowed to write stories for their children so why cant the families of children adopted or fostered .
This is just one of many thousands. A child reports to the SS of being abused then that kid is taken into care then FORCED BY THE SS AND THE COURTS TO HAVE CONTACT WITH THE ABUSERS, the whole system (In a child’s best interest) is up side down. And still I wait for Mr Cameron to decide if a child should be allowed a story from a parent, and in the mean time that kid is forced to have contact with the abuser.