People power leads winds of change

THE relationship between public bodies, such as local councils, police and health trusts, and the public they serve was turned upside down by the creation of the Freedom of Information Act. Whereas incompetence or wastefulness with public finances could be swept out of sight in previous years, the new legislation gave people the right to know, within certain parameters.

Even at the highest levels of public office its effects have been felt. MPs sitting in Westminster never fully realised the implications for themselves and how the “good times”, for them, would end painfully when the public woke up to the expenses scandal.

In Scotland, Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion has been particularly active in upholding the rights of ordinary people when battling for information. He now reports that a growing number of information-seekers are not content with accepting a “no” to their requests and will often make official appeals. In more than two-thirds of decisions he took, he upheld the appeal.

One fears that the culture remaining within many such bodies is to resist such requests wherever possible, but efforts must be stepped up to overturn this negative state of mind.