Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Richard Shepherd (Conservative), on Tuesday, 14 May 2013, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 77 members in total.

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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

That this House notes that the Government is proposing to make it easier for public authorities to refuse Freedom of Information requests on cost grounds in order to prevent disproportionate use of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by some requesters; expresses concern that requests by those making moderate use of the legislation will also be more easily refused under the proposals; is particularly concerned at the proposal that the time which authorities spend considering whether to release information should be taken into account when calculating whether the cost limit has been reached; further notes that this proposal was expressly rejected by the Justice Committee in its post-legislative review of the Act; believes that this proposal will penalise requests raising new or complex issues which will inevitably require substantial time to consider; observes that the Government's objective will in any case be achieved following recent decisions of an Upper Tribunal that requests which involve a disproportionate, manifestly unjustified, inappropriate or improper use of the Act can be refused as vexatious; and calls on the Government not to proceed with its proposals.

Amendments

The Early day motion has received an amendment.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 (80A1)

The Early day motion has received an amendment sponsored by Lord Field of Birkenhead (primary, Labour) and tabled on Tuesday, 4 June 2013. It has been signed by 4 members in total.

at end add 'whilst believing that local authorities must have the power to resist the organisation by local opposition political parties of freedom of information write-in campaigns as a means of destabilising the local authority's normal work'.

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Secondary information

Type

Early day motion

Reference

80 

80A1 

Session

2013-14

Other sponsors

Caroline Lucas

John Healey

Mark Durkan

David Winnick

Julian Huppert

Subjects

Freedom of information

Link

View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk