BCP COUNCIL has said it is “exploring the possibility” of introducing a ‘disclosure page’ for Freedom of Information requests on its website.
Freedom of Information requests, commonly referred to as FOIs, are made under the Freedom of Information Act to receive information from a public body that hasn’t been published.
Neighbouring Dorset Council has on its website a disclosure log of all the information requests made by residents, journalists or anybody else available for all to see.
But Jeff Hanna, cabinet member for resources and governance at BCP Council, has said the authority will be looking at possibly introducing its own disclosure log.
Cllr Hanna said: “Our aim is to be as open and as transparent as possible, and work is ongoing to achieve this.
“A huge amount of information is published already on our website, and all of the website is currently undergoing a programme of review and updating.
“We also ensure that all council and committee reports and recordings of meetings are publicly available.
“When it comes to Freedom of Information requests, any resident can make a request emailing enquiries@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.
“Although there is no requirement to publish all of these as a disclosure log, we are exploring the possibility of doing this in the future.
“Given the volume of requests we receive each year, collating them for public access is a substantial task in itself.
“The immediate priority has to be ensuring that the website is as full, as accurate, and as up to date as possible, since this is where most residents look for information in the first instance.”
An FOI asked by a resident found BCP Council has 1,355 requests made under the act and just 13 requests were rejected under Section 21.
An authority would have to give good reason for this, such as commercial sensitivities or releasing personal data. There will often be a public interest consideration before releasing information.
The Information Commissioner’s Office said: “Access to information helps the public make public authorities accountable for their actions and allows public debate to be better informed and more productive.
“Access to official information can also improve public confidence and trust if government and public sector bodies are seen as being open.”
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