Islington Council under fire from secrecy watchdog Information Commissioner’s Office
Published: 15th April, 2011
by ANDREW JOHNSON
THE secrecy watchdog has rapped the Town Hall for taking too long to reveal information.
The Information Commissioner, who oversees how well public bodies are responding to Freedom of Information requests, has now forced officials to sign a pledge to speed up the process.
Islington was one of 33 public authorities monitored by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) last year following complaints about how long it was taking to reply to Freedom of Information requests.
While the ICO had informal talks with several authorities to help them speed up, Islington was one of four asked to sign undertakings. No action was taken against 26 other local authorities. Information Commissioner Chris Graham said: “I am delighted over two thirds of the authorities have managed to overcome problems. However, the remaining authorities have not done enough to convince us they have a clear and credible plan for getting back on track. Over the next four weeks we shall be discussing appropriate steps with them.”