The Campaign for Freedom of Information is a non-profit organisation working to improve public access to official information and ensure that the Freedom of Information Act is implemented effectively.

The Campaign was set-up in 1984, played a leading role in the passage of the FOI Act and is recognised as a leading independent authority in the field. We provide advice to individuals in exercising their rights to information. We provide training both for public authorities implementing the Act and for users of the legislation. Please contact us for more details.

We are not affiliated to any political party. Our main funding comes from charitable sources including the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the Allen Lane Foundation, the Nuffield Foundation, the GW Cadbury Charitable Trust and from supporting organisations and individuals. We are also grateful for a one off donation from Freedom to Care.

If you believe Britain is too secretive a society, please support our work by making a donation. Your contribution will make a difference and be greatly appreciated.

If you can help by volunteering in our London office please get in touch as we often need extra help with campaigning, research projects and general office administration.

The Campaign has published a users' guide to the Freedom of Information Act, Environmental Information Regulations and rights to see personal data about you held by public authorities. The guide covers both the UK and Scottish legislation.

The Campaign is now running the UK Freedom of Information Blog, providing daily updates on the latest FOI developments.

The Campaign is running two half-day training courses for FOI requesters on 13 January 2008. The morning course will provide an introduction to legislation, covering both the Freedom of Information Act and the parallel Environmental Information Regulations. The afternoon course will examine some of the key decisions made under the two regimes and explain how they can help you obtain information. Requesters can attend either or both courses, which will be in central London.

A letter from Maurice Frankel published in The Times on 4 December 2008 points out that the kind of leaks involved in the Damian Green affair were of information of a kind deliberately removed from the scope of the Official Secrets Act 1989 which intended that such matters be dealt with as a disciplinary rather than a criminal matter.

This short briefing on delays in investigating FOI complaints by the Information Commissioner's Office was circulated to MPs in advance of a debate in the House of Commons on 24 November 2008.

The Campaign is running two half-day training course on 'Information Commissioner & Tribunal Decisions' in London on 5 February 2009. The course, which is aimed at those with a good working knowledge of the legislation, highlights key developments in the way the main exemptions, the public interest test and the legislation's procedural requirements are being interpreted. Further details will be available from the Campaign's website shortly. Please email us if you would like to be notified when these become available.

A new report by the Campaign summarises more than 1,000 press stories based on disclosures under the UK and Scottish FOI acts in 2006 and 2007. The stories demonstrate the enormous range of information being released under FOI and reveal the substantial contribution to accountability made by the acts. In 2006, the government proposed to restrict the UK FOI Act, partly because of what it said was excessive use of the Act being made by journalists. The report shows how valuable the press's use of FOI has been. The proposals were dropped by Gordon Brown after he became prime minister in 2007. (Note: the report is 250 pages and may take a little while to download).

This article, published in Press Gazette on 2 May 2008, reviews the Information Tribunal's recent decisions on access to policy advice showing that it has required disclosure only a short time after the relevant government decision has been taken. Despite two High Court challenges, the government has failed to overturn the Tribunal's approach.

The Campaign has responded to the review of the 30 year rule set up by the Prime Minister. It summarises the 7 Information Tribunal decisions to date dealing with advice or internal discussion and points out that in almost every case the Tribunal has held that disclosure should have taken place at the time of the request, a few years or a few months after the decision. It says that this material should now be proactively released after 15 years, though if necessary, the reduction could be brought in in two stages, starting with 20 years initially. This change would also mean that these exemptions could no longer be used to withhold information under the FOI Act once it was 15 (or 20) years old.

This letter commenting on the Information Commissioner's criticism of a health trust for failing to meet its obligations under the FOI Act, has been published in Health Service Journal.

This article about two recent High Court cases on access to policy advice under the FOI Act, appeared in The Independent on 28 March 2008.

High Court upholds Information Tribunal EIR decision. The High Court has dismissed the government's appeal against the Information Tribunal in the first case of its kind under the Environmental Information Regulations. Read more.

The Campaign has responded to the government's consultation on extending the FOI Act to certain kinds of private bodies. An accompanying press release is here.

The Campaign has welcomed the Information Commissioner’s decision that cabinet minutes dealing with the war in Iraq should be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Campaign welcomed a vote in the House of Lords to bring Northern Rock within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act. (Note: this was later reversed in the House of Commons).

The Campaign has issued a press release welcoming the positive moves on Freedom of Information announced by the government on 25 October 2007.

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