Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Simon Hughes and Lindsay Roy

Tuesday 18th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Lindsay Roy (Glenrothes) (Lab)]

23. What plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to expand the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Simon Hughes)]

There has been good progress in extending the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act because the coalition Government pledged to extend its scope to provide greater transparency. We extended it in 2010 to academies, in 2011 to the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Financial Ombudsman Service and the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, and last year to 100 companies wholly owned by more than one public authority. The next item on the agenda is to do with Network Rail, and we are awaiting a view from the Department for Transport as to whether it thinks it would be appropriate for that to be implemented this year.

[Lindsay Roy]

What benefits have accrued to the Government and citizens from the implementation of the Act, and when does the Minister plan to extend its scope further?

[Simon Hughes]

We intend to extend it further as soon as is practical. One specific issue that I hope will be of interest to the hon. Gentleman—as it is to colleagues of his, including those who have come to see me about it—is that we intend to publish a revised code of practice to make sure that private companies that carry out public functions have freedom of information requirements in their contracts and go further than that. We hope that that will be in place by the end of this year.