Journoblog

As Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Price on the grounds that he is not George W. Bush, I feel obliged to point out to the world that I am also not George W. Bush.

Plus, Mr Obama has recently sent 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.
I have sent fewer troops to Afghanistan than this. To date, I have sent approximately zero troops into Afghanistan. That's a difference of about 30,000.

I would also wager that Mr Obama's carbon footprint is several thousand times greater than mine. Living in a white house is supposed to be good for the environment, but i think I still have the edge.

However, I must confess that neither of us have signed the Kyoto agreement, so we're on an equal footing there.

I broke up a fight in a pub once. Barack killed a fly on telly.

It's right there in facts and figures, folks. They can't argue with it. See you in Oslo.

The Freedom of Information Act makes it mandatory for a public authority to disclose whether or not it has the information requested of it. The same is also required of privatised bodies (such as utilities companies), police and fire authorities and quangos.


Exciting piece of information: Quango is an acronym for "QUasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation."


There are some exemptions, such as security and intelligence services, Special Air Service, Special Boat Service, and GCHQ (never ask for information from someone who loves in a doughnut). Chris also mentioned NCIS (National Crime intelligence Service). It's worth mentioning that this organisation ceased to exist in 2006, when it was merged into SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Agency), amusingly on April Fools' Day. 


Information must be released unless it is judged that the public interest is not served, or if the public interest in NOT releasing the information is greater than in releasing it. See PCC Code of Conduct if you're not sure what public interest means.


The body from which the request is made must respond within 20 days:
"Do you have this information?" - 20 days
"Can I have it?" - another 20 days


What is "information"?
The act specifies that only information that is recorded or written down can be requested. "Sofa conversations" don't count. None of the information about the initiating of the war in Iraq was written down, so it remains largely secret.  Nice to know that the decision to go to war was made on a Chesterfield over a cup of tea and some French fancies.


Section 16 of the act says they must assist you and must not mislead you, but they can charge you a "reasonable" price and can also refuse information on the basis of "prohibitive expense".