• Home
  • News
  • Digital
  • Business
  • Coins
  • Featured
  • Techno
  • Trends
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Techno News24
  • Home
  • News
  • Digital
  • Business
  • Coins
  • Featured
  • Techno
  • Trends
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Techno News24
Home»Techno»Two Government Departments Reprimanded by UK data Watchdog
Techno

Two Government Departments Reprimanded by UK data Watchdog

Amber HeardBy Amber HeardOctober 18, 2022Updated:October 20, 2022No Comments4 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Two government departments reprimanded by uk data watchdog
Two Government Departments Reprimanded by UK data Watchdog
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Two government departments have been reprimanded by a watchdog for not responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests on time.

It is the first time in seven years the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued an FOI enforcement notice.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) had the worst response rate across all government departments.

Action was also taken against the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The ICO is an independent watchdog. Its central aim is to promote openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.

It has issued this latest action against the DIT and BEIS for what it calls “persistent failures” to respond.

It said the action comes as it renews its approach to regulating the Freedom of Information Act 2000, which commits to taking action against public authorities with consistently poor performance.

John Edwards, the Information Commissioner, said: “Accountability and transparency in the work of public authorities is fundamental to democracy and it is the ICO’s role to ensure that people’s right to access information is protected.

“I advise public authorities to take note and learn lessons from the action we have taken today, as we will be making greater use of our powers under the Act to drive good practice and compliance.”

FOI consultant Martin Rosenbaum told the BBC this was a welcome decision.

“It is the kind of firm and determined action which has been badly needed to tackle serious failings on FOI in government departments.

“It should make it clear to the public authorities with the worst records on FOI compliance that there are limits to what they can get away with.

If the new Commissioner continues to show much greater determination and effectiveness in enforcing the FOI Act, it will make a big difference to improving how the system can work in practise for the public benefit,” he said.

Table of Contents

  • Department for International Trade
  • Government Departments
  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for International Trade

The ICO said DIT was late answering more than half of requests from January to March.

The department’s response times declined in 2021 despite no significant increase in requests or known resource issues at the department.

The ICO said the delays were “simply due to internal process failings, rather than more significant problems”.

The department has been told it must respond to any outstanding requests older than 20 working days within 35 calendar days of the enforcement notice.

It should also publish an action plan formalising measures to mitigate any future delays.

Failure to comply with the notice could lead to the department being found in contempt of court, it has been warned.

A DIT spokesperson said: “We are fully committed to our transparency obligations and responded to over 500 FOI requests received last year.

“We continue to evaluate and improve our internal processes and will respond to the ICO in due course.”

Government Departments

Two government departments reprimanded by UK data watchdog Africa-Press – Botswana. Two government departments have been reprimanded by a watchdog for not responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests on time. It is the first time in seven years the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued an FOI enforcement notice.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

BEIS was told to improve its performance, after it “consistently failed to respond to a significant number of the information access requests received within the statutory time limit”.

BEIS has had a 55% increase in requests since 2020, but the ICO found the department’s internal procedures were the cause of many responses being delayed, as well as the volume increases.

The ICO said that because of mitigations by BEIS and its positive engagement with the watchdog, it was only issued with a practice recommendation rather than an enforcement notice.

But the regulator said an enforcement notice could be issued if performance does not improve.

Latest News Latest Technology Technology Trends
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Avatar of amber heard
Amber Heard

Related Posts

Craigslist Pets Tri Cities

January 21, 2023

How to Choose a 72v Electric Bike Battery

January 1, 2023

List Of Jobs Available In Electric Utilities Central

January 1, 2023

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • News
  • Digital
  • Business
  • Coins
  • Featured
  • Techno
  • Trends
  • Contact
© 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT