FOI legislation has 'paid for itself', claims information commissioner
FOI legislation has 'paid for itself', claims information commissioner
Freedom of Information legislation has "paid for itself" by reducing unnecessary public spending, the UK's Information Commissioner says in a message to mark International Right to Know Day.
In a statement released by the Information Commissioner's Office, Christopher Graham praises the role of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in ensuring "greater transparency and accountability" from public bodies.
"Freedom of Information shines a torch into the dark corners of public service, identifying wasted money and duplication of effort. Freedom of Information must have paid for itself many times over in the beneficial impact it has had on reducing unnecessary spending – and that contribution can only increase in the years ahead," he says.
"Organisations, whether public or private, need to invest in information rights - whether it's Freedom of Information, good records management, or data protection. Where organisations fall down on their information rights obligations they do so at the cost of destroying citizen and consumer trust."
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