UK Information Access statistics

UK publishes Fourth Annual Report on the operation of the FOI Act in Central Government 2008

London: 25 June 2009

The UK Ministry of Justice has published the Fourth Annual Report on the operation of the FOI Act in Central Government 2008. The UK Freedom of Information Act (The data and information access law) covers over 100 thousand public sector bodies. The report states:

“Monitored central government bodies received a total of 34,950 “non-routine” FOI and EIR requests during 2008, the fourth year of the Act’s operation. This is 6 per cent more than the 32,978 requests received in 2007.”

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice in the Forward to the report states:

Looking at the challenges that lie ahead, technology has changed the way information is accessed and shared beyond recognition over recent years and will continue to do so.

The public sector bodies monitored by the statistics (Annex B of the report) includes the UK Trading Funds that are significant holders of public sector information and includes amongst others the:

• HM Land Registry – Total requests received = 97 (68 in 2007) (78 in 2006)
• Ordnance Survey – Total request received = 187 (121 in 2007) (137 in 2006)
• UK Hydrographic Office – no statistics quoted
• UK Met Office - No statistics quoted