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Dept for Transport

Answer

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice or instructions he has given to the Civil Aviation Authority about the need to deal expeditiously and candidly with requests from the public under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [224352] Charlotte Atkins: The statutory guidance for public bodies on Freedom of Information, the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs' Code of Practice on the discharge of public authorities' functions under Part I of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, is produced by the Department of Constitutional Affairs. The document is on the internet at the following address http://www.foi.gov.uk/codepafunc.htm, and is available in the Library of the House. The Department for Transport has not given any supplementary advice or instructions to the Civil Aviation Authority on handling Freedom of Information requests. However, the Department has provided its own internal guidance on Freedom of Information to the authority, to assist it in producing its own guidance. In line with the Code of Practice, the Civil Aviation Authority has established its own complaints procedure; in the first instance, an applicant should pursue a complaint through this if he/she is dissatisfied with the authority's handling of a Freedom of Information request. If this process is exhausted and the applicant remains dissatisfied, the applicant may complain to the Information Commissioner.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

224352; 432 c1183-4W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Disclosure of information Civil Aviation Authority Freedom of information

Legislation

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk