Dear Reader;

I have had this issue brought to my attention:

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The Campaign for Freedom of Information
 http://www.cfoi.org.uk/edm2699.html

Parliamentary motion on fees for FOI requests

Has your MP signed the Parliamentary motion which expresses concern that the Government is considering changes to the charging arrangements under the Freedom of Information Act?

The motion (known as an "EDM") which the Campaign has helped to co-ordinate, follows the publication in The Sunday Times of a leaked memo indicating that the Government is considering making it substantially easier for authorities to refuse requests on costs grounds and/or introducing new charges for information under the Act. The result would be either to deter significant numbers of requests under the Act or to allow authorities to refuse large numbers of requests which currently have to be answered.

The Constitutional Affairs Committee (HC991) recently described the Act's first year of operation as a "significant success" reporting that it saw "no need" to change the charging arrangements.

The motion has been tabled by an all-party group of MPs made up of:

Tony Wright (Lab)(Chair of the Public Administration select committee)
Alan Beith (Lib Dem) (Chair of the Constitutional Affairs select committee)
Dominic Grieve (Con) (Shadow Attorney General)
Richard Shepherd (Con) (Parliamentary co-chair of the Campaign for Freedom of Information)
Mark Fisher (Lab) (Sponsor of the 1992 Right to Know Bill)
Simon Hughes (Lib Dem) (Spokesman on Constitutional Affairs)
The Campaign has written to all MPs encouraging them to sign the EDM and enclosing this briefing.

If your MP hasn't signed already, please consider writing to him/her at House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. You should ask your MP to sign EDM No 2699 on Freedom of Information. Details of MPs that have signed so far are below. New names will be added as soon as they become available.

You can contact your MP using  http://www.theyworkforyou.com/.

Early Day Motion No. 2699 Freedom of Information

Supported by 140 MPs as of 8 November 2006

"That this House welcomes the finding of the Constitutional Affairs Committee (HC991) that the Freedom of Information Act has "already brought about the release of significant new information and...this information is being used in a constructive and positive way" and the committee's conclusion that it sees "no need to change" the Act's charging arrangements; views with concern reports that the Government is considering changing these arrangements to permit an application fee to be charged for all requests or to allow authorities to refuse, on cost grounds, a significant proportion of requests which they currently must answer; and considers that such changes could undermine the Act's benefits of increased openness, accountability and trust in the work of public authorities."




Sponsors:

Tony Wright (Lab)
Alan Beith (Lib Dem)
Dominic Grieve (Con)
Richard Shepherd (Con)
Mark Fisher (Lab)
Simon Hughes (Lib Dem)

Signed by:

Diane Abbott (Lab)
Danny Alexander (Lib Dem)
Michael Ancram (Con)
David Anderson (Lab)
Norman Baker (Lib Dem)
Richard Benyon (Con)
John Bercow (Con)
Roger Berry (Lab)
Peter Bottomley (Con)
Tom Brake (Lib Dem)
Colin Breed (Lib Dem)
James Brokenshire (Con)
Annette Brooke (Lib Dem)
Jeremy Browne (Lib Dem)
Malcolm Bruce (Lib Dem)
Richard Burden (Lab)
David Burrowes (Con)
Paul Burstow (Lib Dem)
Alistair Burt (Con)
Lorely Burt (Lib Dem)
Vincent Cable (Lib Dem)
Gregory Campbell (DUP)
Martin Caton (Lab)
Colin Challen (Lab)
Katy Clark (Lab)
Nick Clegg (Lib Dem)
Harry Cohen (Lab)
Michael Connarty (Lab)
Derek Conway (Con)
Jeremy Corbyn (Lab)
Ann Cryer (Lab)
Edward Davey (Lib Dem)
Philip Davies (Con)
Janet Dean (Lab)
Jim Dobbin (Lab)
Jeffrey Donaldson (DUP)
David Drew (Lab)
James Duddridge (Con)
Mark Durkan (SDLP)
Clive Efford (Lab)
Louise Ellman (Lab)
Bill Etherington (Lab)
Michael Fabricant (Con)
Michael Fallon (Con)
Timothy Farron (Lib Dem)
Lynne Featherstone (Lib Dem)


Party Totals:

Labour 46
Lib Dem 43
Conservative 40
Plaid Cymru 3
Democratic Unionist Party 3
Scottist National Party 2
Social Democratic and Labour Party 2
Ulster Unionist Party 1

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