New UK information chief pledges action on FoI backlog
30 January 2009 The new Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, has pledged to make reducing the substantial backlog of Freedom of Information appeals a priority when he takes up the job this summer. Graham, who has been selected by the Ministry of Justice to replace Although the Information Commissioner's Office now settles more cases than it receives each year, it is still feeling the effects of a huge backlog which built up in the first year of the Act, four years ago. The body receives £5.5m a year in funding from the Ministry of Justice, and employs 53 case-workers to deal with FoI complaints. Justice committee chairman Sir Alan Beith, the Libreal Democrat MP for Berwick Upon Tweed, asked Graham whether the MoJ had promised him any extra resources to clear the backlog. "It is very challenging," Graham replied. "I have not had any discussions with the Ministry of Justice about resources. I have not had many discussions beyond the job application. I think the fun now starts." He added: "The freedom of information side looks to be pretty tightly resourced. It is a backlog that has been there pretty much from day one. "It will be interesting to see how we can deal with that increase and clear up the backlog unless there are significant resources made available, but I would also say that this is a problem that is not unfamiliar to me." Graham, a former BBC journalist who has led the Advertising Standards Authority since 2000, said one of his first priorities when he joined the ad watchdog had been to ensure complaints were handled more quickly.New information chief pledges action on FoI backlog
Outgoing IC Richard Thomas - Image via Wikipedia![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=b36572ab-8216-4c88-9102-36c4777dd2ef)
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