FOI - Disclosure Log

[Swingletree]

Hi, I'm trying to access a public organizations Disclosure Log. All I can see published is a log up and till 2009. Nothing from Dec 2009.

Can someone let me know if this acceptable/allowed and what I can do about it?

Thank you in anticipation of your answers.

[EXC]

Re: FOI - Disclosure Log

I'm not sure that public organisations have an obligation to publish FoI disclosures.

A solution might be to ask for all the FoI disclosures under the Freedom of Information Act itself.

[labman]

Re: FOI - Disclosure Log

It also depends on what you are calling a 'public organisation.' I found recently that an organisation which could hardly be more public is not a 'Public Organisation' for the purposes of FOI Act.

[Swingletree]

Re: FOI - Disclosure Log

It also depends on what you are calling a 'public organisation.' I found recently that an organisation which could hardly be more public is not a 'Public Organisation' for the purposes of FOI Act.

A hospital?

[labman]

Re: FOI - Disclosure Log

What were you asking?
------------------------------- merged -------------------------------
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) will not be extended to cover all charities, or all charities providing services on behalf of public bodies, in England and Wales, But in Scotland, the FOI Scotland Act could be extended to cover charities providing services on behalf of public bodies.
www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#foi-publicbodies

Thought this might be useful to post on this thread which my charity received this morning.



Disclosure of personal data in freedom of information and environmental information requests.
www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#foi-personaldata

Using the Audit Commission Act 1998 to obtain information from local authorities.
www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#auditcommissionact

NCVO guide on using the FOIA for campaigning.
www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#foi-campaigning
or go direct to www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/yourrighttoknow

[Swingletree]

Re: FOI - Disclosure Log

Labman, you seem to have highjacked my post.

My original request was based on the topic of FOI Disclosure Logs used by public organizations. In my case a NHS Trust in the form of a hospital.

I originally wanted to know, and have still to find the definitive answer, is whether a Disclosure Log has to be made public or at least one is in place.

I need to make a FOI request but before I do so then I would like to access the disclosure log and to ascertain whether anyone else has asked a similar question of that same NHS Trust. There may well be a recurring 'issue' for the hospital which I would highlight within my FOI request.

The only disclosure log that is available to me from that organization stops in 2009 and is therefore somewhat out of date. Before I ask the FOI question, I am trying to do my homework regarding the framework of FOI Disclosure Logs.

Thank you

[EXC]

Re: FOI - Disclosure Log

I'm not sure that Labman has 'hijacked' your thread. He was just trying to be helpful.

Although not definitive this link strongly suggests that FoI disclosure logs are not a requirement under the Act:

''Compulsory disclosure logs. Why not? The Protection of Freedoms Bill (s.98, para 4) proposes them for Datasets, but why limit it to a specific form of information? At the very least there could be a statutory requirement to publish a summary report of requests received and responses, but I see very few reasons not to publish all information disclosed (perhaps with limits for technical feasibility).''

Amendments FOI Man

[labman]

Re: FOI - Disclosure Log

Swingletree,

You are very lucky I don't take offence easily. I have not hijacked your thread at all. I happened to receive the information yesterday and without having looked through it all in detail, seeing the topic of the e-mail felt it could possibly be helpful. I thus posted it in what I considered a relevant place. I apologise if you didn't appreciate the attempt to help, but that's forums. Bold statements like yours are rarely well received for obvious reasons, but as I say, I don't take offence easily.

As for previous posts, a place like a hospital would only be required to disclose certain information. You did not feel inclined to expand on the ytpe of public organisation until I asked you - I received a one word response. I then asked what you were trying to find out - this elicited no response at all. It can't be personal so I didn't mind asking, if it was personal it obviously wouldn't potentially be able to be disclosed under a FOI request.

Often giving as much detail as possible in the original thread can avoid this situation. If you had said I'm trying to access a hopital's public disclosure log from 2009 to the present in order to find out x, y and z it would have given a clearer picture.

If a member of site team reads this, perhaps the 'hijackinng' post could be removed and I'll repost under its own heading.