Islanders to gain access to files kept on them
Tuesday 20th July 2010, 2:59PM BST.
States departments would be required to hand over information, if the law is approved
ISLANDERS could soon be given access to government information – including files kept on them – as part of moves to create a new era of more open and transparent government.
For the first time, a law has been drawn up that would force States departments to hand over information. The only times they could refuse would be if a request was for restricted data, or if the information was already in the public domain.
The draft Freedom of Information Law was published yesterday by the Privileges and Procedures Committee and is expected to be debated by the States in October.
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I’d love to see my file, I’ve been leathered for the past 20 years and have no idea where I’ve been or what I’ve done.
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Yes yes and yes, I am so pleased to see this happen.
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ah, the words”restricted data”
things that make you go ,mmmm
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Thats great news now i can look up how much the tax department owes me in a refund since i started working as i do believe they wasted it on themselves my mistake….love the returned cheque by the 31st December thankyou…and you will also avoid the 10 per cent surcharge if posted by this time.
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It’s files that the States have on themselves that would interest the voting public
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Here we go again. Read the small print. Who gets to decide what is to be considered as ‘Restricted Data” concerning one’s self??
Amazing how these “Public Sector People” always ensure that there is an exit strategy in place for themselves.
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The Freedom of Information Act 2000 in the U.K. is great. You can find out all sorts of things the local authority, police and Government are up to. Statistics, expenses all manner of things – it’s how the MPs’ expenses were revealed, but even then there was a lot of resistance and I imagine that even now there isn’t complete transparency. It won’t be a panacea.
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