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back to article Top cops placed under Freedom of Info law

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), along with the Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland (ACPO) and the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), was added as a public authority under the Freedom of Information (Designation as Public Authorities) Order 2011. FOS has the power …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And now watch as the ACPO (quite rightly) gets snowed under with FOI requests asking about their operations and other interesting activities. No more hiding behind the fig leaf of being a private business chaps. Hahaha.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Mmmmm

      Think you misunderstand what ACPO actually do.

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  2. Martin Milan
    FAIL

    Network Rail

    Another body that really should be on that list is Network Rail.

    Aside from the scrutinty this would allow them to be held to in terms of complance with safety concerns etc, it could also be said that their financial management has at times been rather suspect. We are 40% less efficient than our continental cousins when it comes to rail maintenance...

    FOI could be put to considerable use were it to be available as a tool with which to hold Network Rail to account - effectively a publicly funded body who should expect all the scrutiny that priviledge ought to entail...

    Martin.

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  3. Alan Brown Silver badge

    ASA, Phonepayplus...

    Both of whom sell themselves as regulators, but aren't - and hide behind being "private organisations" to avoid FOI requests.

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  4. James Micallef Silver badge
    Holmes

    private organistaions

    Every organisation that either performs the functions of a public body or else receives a single penny in subsidies or support from the public purse should be subject to FOI

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  5. Alan Brown Silver badge
    Unhappy

    @James Micallef

    The FOI law says that any outfit contracted by a governmental body to perform a function, or which performs in a regulatory role may come under the FOI - PURSUANT TO A DETERMINATION BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

    I asked the SoS to issue a determination about ASA and PPP (ICSTIS in those days) several years ago and didn't even receive an acknowledgement...

    My interpretation of the wording of the act (and discussion with some of the polticians behind it) is that it's intended to pull things like the GMC and various trade disciplinary bodies into FOI rules and destroy the "coverup culture" but the home office has been remarkably reticent in moving forward.

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