Newsletter No. 153
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FreePint
"Helping 66,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.com/
ISSN 1460-7239 5th February 2004 No.153
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IN THIS ISSUE
-------------
EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Diane Barnett
FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
JOBS
Records Reference & Compliance Manager
Intranet Content/Library/Information Management
TIPS ARTICLE
"Disintegrating Digital Fences: Finding Business Information
in Ukraine and its Neighbouring Countries"
By Vasyl Pawlowsky
BOOKSHELF
"Building & Running a Successful Research Business"
Reviewed by Stephen Lee
FEATURE ARTICLE
"10 things you should know about the UK's
Freedom of Information regime"
By Paul Pedley
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
CONTACT INFORMATION
ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/050204.htm>
FULLY FORMATTED VERSION
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WWW.MARKETRESEARCHONTHEWEB.COM
A new subscription service providing a database of free and paid-for
sites containing market information, statistics, and industry news.
Full links to regularly evaluated UK and European sites from trade
associations, research agencies and publishers, journal publishers,
industry portals. Try out the free trial, or contact
mrow@irn-research.com for more details.
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>>> VIP and VIP Eye -- Second issues now available <<<
The second edition of VIP includes an in-depth review of Hemscott
Company Guru and guest comment from Clare Hart, CEO Factiva.
VIP Eye analyses business information industry news announcements
and alerts you to new products and product updates.
Full details and samples available at:
<http://www.vivaVIP.com/>
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>>> ABOUT FREEPINT <<<
FreePint is an online network of information searchers. Members
receive this free newsletter twice a month: it is packed with tips
on finding quality and reliable business information on the Internet.
Joining is free at <http://www.freepint.com/> and provides access to
a substantial archive of articles, reviews, jobs & events, with
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EDITORIAL
London had its first snow of the year last week. I was fully
prepared, donning my fur hat and boots, as I'm heading off to Moscow
and St. Petersburg on holiday next week. A friend gave me a copy of
an invaluable little book "Culture Smart Guide to Russia"
<http://www.cultureshockguides.com/>. These useful pocket-sized guides
are great for both social or business travel and cover many other
countries too.
The Hutton Report was released in the UK last week. The report
strongly criticised the BBC while largely absolving the UK Government
of blame in connection with the suicide of weapons expert David Kelly.
Opinion polls showed that people trusted the BBC more than the
government. The BBC apologised and the chairman, and director general
resigned. The whole affair has opened the BBC up to wide criticism but
has opened up the government to even more criticism by an outraged
British public.
Was the BBC kow towing to Tony Blair's government? Russian Media
Minister Mikhail Lesin certainly thought it was. A Russian news
agency reported that he was amazed by the repentant tone of the BBC.
"Such statements painfully resemble those of Soviet writers responding
to the criticisms of the Communist Party during the years of Soviet
stagnation," Mr Lesin said. He also warned the BBC against "sterile
coverage, not only of Iraq but also of other government-related
activities" <http://digbig.com/3par>.
Like many other former Soviet republics, Ukraine has undergone
significant political and economic changes since independence. In
Vasyl Pawlowky's article on researching business information in
Ukraine and its neighbouring countries, he shows that with good
language skills it is possible to find information, but there is still
a climate of corruption. He highlights that after recent fraud
scandals, business scrutiny and corporate governance is on the agenda
world-wide and not just in countries with newly developing economies.
Time will tell whether the Hutton report will have ramifications for
all journalists who want to expose wrong-doing in the public interest.
One thing however, is certain - in January 2005, the Freedom of
Information Act comes into force and public bodies in the UK will have
a legal obligation to be open and accountable both to general citizens
and the media. Paul Pedley examines this important legislation in our
other article today. His full report can be purchased at
<http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/>.
As the chill winds of winter blow over this little island, I think I'm
prepared for the far more extreme Russian winter but I'll keep you
posted.
Enjoy your FreePint
Annabel Colley
Editor, FreePint
<annabel.colley@freepint.com>
FreePint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2004
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"An Introduction To Freedom Of Information"
ISBN 1-904769-03-9
This report covers the role that publication schemes play in the UK's
freedom of information regime; the rights of applicants; the handling
of freedom of information requests; complaints procedures; the
exemptions; fees and charges; the importance of having good records
management systems and procedures in place; and the interface between
data protection and freedom of information.
<http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/>
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Diane Barnett
* <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html> - Medline
Plus, the online encyclopaedia of the US National Library of
Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
* <http://www.emedicine.com/search.html> - the search page of
eMedicine, which has a most extensive list of rare disorder
information.
* <http://www.tagish.co.uk/> Tagish - huge resource of contact
details for government departments, hospitals, etc.
* <http://www.royalmail.com/> - Free postcode/address finder
programme from the Royal Mail.
* <http://news.google.co.uk/> - Excellent site to get the
latest news.
Diane Barnett is an Information Officer (Rare Disorders) for the
charity 'Contact a Family' which advises for families with disabled
children, and also covers rare disorders in adults
<http://www.cafamily.org.uk>.
Submit your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at
<http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>.
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FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
The Bar seems to get busier and busier and mentions of it continually
crop up all over the place. It's also nice to see stronger links
forming between members of different Willco communities
<http://www.willco.com/customers/>. A strong relationship already
exists between the Bar and the VIP Lounge, where Editor Pam Foster is
asking for feedback on Net Snippets
<http://web.vivavip.com/forum/Lounge/read.php?i=25> and ICC's Plum
<http://web.vivavip.com/forum/Lounge/read.php?i=23>. VIP number 2 is
just out, with an in-depth review of Hemscott's Company Guru and CEO
Insight contribution from Factiva's Clare Hart
<http://www.vivaVIP.com>.
Back at the Bar, and I'm sure someone can help find a UK
subscription agent for Portuguese journals and magazines
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b27390>? What about data on how
much sports equipment is sold over the Internet
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b27395> or the surprisingly complicated
enquiry about the number of car insurance policies which include
breakdown cover <http://www.freepint.com/go/b27398>? It is amazing how
a seemingly simple query can often include so many complicating
factors.
Webmasters are always well supported at the Bar. There's been plenty
of sympathy for the person who is taking over management of a
charity's site and who can't get control of the old pages
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b27219>. Likewise, someone else is
trying to stop email addresses being 'ripped' from their site
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b27425>. The emotion also runs high when an
invaluable site is unavailable for a period of time, and there was
much elation at the return of Oneacross.com
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b27141>. When you lose something valuable
that you've taken for granted, it makes you very glad when it returns.
Finally, it's nice to see suggestions for the redistribution of
surplus books <http://www.freepint.com/go/b27330>, and help with
interview technique <http://www.freepint.com/go/b27323>. If you're
looking for a job yourself, or even just monitoring your employment
value, then sign up for the twice-monthly Jobs Update
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b27440>.
William Hann <william.hann@freepint.com>
Managing Editor, FreePint
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The FreePint Bar is where you can get help with your tricky research
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Twice-weekly email digests of the latest postings can be requested
at <http://web.freepint.com/>.
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FREEPINT JOBS
<http://www.freepint.com/jobs>
The FreePint Jobs Update is being circulated widely every two
weeks. This free newsletter now has 1,100 direct subscribers and
is posted at the Bar and in the Bar Digest (circulation 11,000).
To see the Jobs Update No.66 visit <http://www.freepint.com/go/b27440>
and to subscribe, modify your account at <http://web.freepint.com>.
Here are some of the latest featured jobs:
Records Reference & Compliance Manager
Join RM team, responsible for records reference system, manage
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I.T. skills and info management qualification to develop new systems.
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NB: There are 35 other jobs in the current edition of the Jobs Update
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TIPS ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/050204.htm#tips>
"Disintegrating Digital Fences: Finding Business Information
in Ukraine and its Neighbouring Countries"
By Vasyl Pawlowsky
There are many different business websites available on the Internet.
However when the question deals with countries in newly developing
economies, in particular Ukraine, Poland and Russia, the task at hand
becomes a little more difficult. The 'disintegration of digital
fences' in the region is primarily due to the fact that businesses,
governments, the financial sector and regulatory bodies understand
that the lingua franca of the business world is English. As a result,
many efforts have been made to provide information that is
comprehensible to the global community. This review will cover three
useful sources that provide reliable business information in the given
geographic territory: stock exchanges; specialized websites, including
English language media; and sites funded by the international
development community.
Taking stock
============
The equities market in Ukraine and many of its neighbours is not as
developed as in market economies; however, I have found that the stock
exchanges and their affiliated projects provide one of the most
reliable sources of business information. The First Securities Trading
System <http://www.pfts.com/eng/>, Ukraine's largest stock exchange,
runs a site called iStock <http://www.istock.com.ua/eng/> that has as
its objective creating "a modern disclosure system in the securities
market for provision of informational transparency of the issuers'
corporate activities". The system provides companies with the means to
file annual reports, and provides company news free of charge. The
reports date back to 1997 and a news archive allows for searching on
company news. Russia, with a much larger equity market, clearly has a
number of sources, however, one of my favourite sites is
<http://www.rustocks.com>. Like its Ukrainian counterpart,
Rustocks.com's aim is "to facilitate the process of information
disclosure for issuers". With free registration, there is a fair
amount of information on Russian firms that are trading on the Russian
markets; however, like many other free services, it offers a premium
service for which you can pay. I am unaware of any similar sites in
Poland, though I have found the Warsaw Stock Exchange site
<http://www.wse.com.pl/index_e.asp> useful and it does provide basic
information on its listed companies, many of which have a solid web
presence providing full disclosure and much of their information in
English.
Getting the goods
=================
Early last fall, one of our firm's lawyers called me asking if I had
seen the latest on the United States Trade Commission's decision to
increase tariffs on a number of different products originating from
Russia and Ukraine. "I need to know all the different manufacturers of
the products on the list and their contact information by tomorrow
afternoon," he hastily requested. Fortunately, I was familiar with the
Industrial Ukraine site <http://www.ukrindustrial.com/en/> which
allowed me to track down the required information for Ukrainian
producers. One caveat, although the site lists 5,500 enterprises
listed on the Russian-language site, less then half of these are
available in the English language version. Nonetheless, the site
allows one to search by product or service and provides users with
contact information, products produced, and like many commercial
projects, a region or area in which domestic businesses are looking
for international partners.
Trying to find the Russian manufacturers of the products needed was
much more difficult, often first finding an article which referred to
both a company and a product, then searching for the company's
website, often found on the B2B Russian portal
<http://www.rusmarket.com/>. For more general business information, it
is well worth checking Pravda's site <http://english.pravda.ru/>, as
well as The Economist's country profile for Russia
<http://www.economist.com/countries/Russia/moreover.cfm>. I highly
recommend The Economist country profiles as a starting point for any
research on the region.
A good place to start for company information in Poland is the Polish
Chamber of Commerce at <http://www.kig.pl/en/>. Its searchable company
database, which covers nearly 2 million basic company records and more
than 100,000 full records, can be searched using very basic boolean
searching, though you will have to know the Polish spelling to find
what you are looking for. In addition, a fee-based service of
obtaining credit reports on Polish companies listed on the site is
available.
Two other sites worth mentioning are the <http://www.poland.com>
portal, due to its simple uncluttered look and useful links, and the
Warsaw Business Journal at <http://www.wbj.pl/>, which provides
current news stories, and promises soon to provide a search facility
of their archives. For the most part, specialized sites can be very
useful, though one should not forget the local traditional print media
that has migrated to the Web.
The following two sites both require registration. The Kyiv Post
<http://www.kyivpost.com> has long been a source of information for the
expat community in Kyiv (or Kiev), though little content is freely
available. The two year old Kyiv Weekly <http://www.kyivweekly.com>
provides some business information though not as in-depth as the
former; however, there has been a change in ownership and the
publication has increased in substance. Other sources that are
available for free are the digest of the Kyiv based newspaper The Day
<http://www.day.kiev.ua/DIGEST/>, the weekly analytical publication
Dzerkalo tyzhnia <http://www.mirror-weekly.com/> and Ukrainska Pravda
<http://www.pravda.com.ua/en/>. Each of these publications, to a
certain extent, covers domestic economic and business issues, and
often provides very solid analysis by some of Ukraine's best
analytical journalists.
Running a tight ship
====================
Ukraine, according to Transparency International's
<http://www.transparency.org/> Corruption Perception Index is one of
the most corrupt nations on the planet. And although it may be
perceived as such, one only has to recall recent fraud scandals
involving the likes of the U.S.-based Enron and Worldcom and most
recently the Italian dairy company Parmalat, which forces westerners
to remove their rose-coloured glasses and start truly questioning
corporate governance practices. Like everywhere else in the world,
this issue has become very topical. In fact, there are a number of
sites clearly dedicated to this issue.
In Ukraine, the International Finance Corporation supports and runs the
Ukraine Corporate Development Project
<http://www2.ifc.org/ukraine/ucdp/ukr.htm>, while in Russia the
OECD/World Bank - Russian Corporate Governance Roundtable supports the
Corporate Governance in Russia project
<http://www.corp-gov.org/index.php3>. In Poland, the Warsaw Stock
Exchange touches on this issue to a somewhat lesser degree (see
above). The Center for International Private Enterprise
<http://www.cipe.org/> also covers corporate governance globally and
lists its global partners
<http://www.cipe.org/programs/global/index.php>. Among those listed
for the regions covered by this review are some of each of the
country's most respected think-tanks. These are worth examining
when trying to get a better understanding about business and even
the economic environment in which businesses must function.
It would not be fair to say that a great deal of information is
readily available, but with time we hope the situation will improve.
Until it does, many of the links provided should assist anyone
interested in business information in the region with a good starting
point. Clearly, those without the handicap of language will be far
more successful in finding their needle in a haystack.
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Vasyl (Bill) Pawlowsky spent one year at McGill University's McLennan
Library Reference Department and seven years as a Senior Information
Specialist at Pratt & Whitney Canada in Montreal, Canada, before
departing for Ukraine in 1999. After spending two years as a
consultant on democracy development issues and a year-and-a-half as a
journalist/editor of a Kyiv-based business weekly, he returned back
into his profession as Head of Information Services at the Kyiv-based
Law Firm Magister & Partners <http://www.magisters.com/> in January
2003. In addition to his position at Magister & Partners he is Advisor
on International Cooperation for the Democratic Initiatives
Foundation, a Kyiv-based NGO specializing in public opinion polling
and sociological research.
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Related FreePint links:
* 'Ukraine' articles and resources in the FreePint Portal
<http://www.freepint.com/go/c227>
* Post a message to the author, Vasyl Pawlowsky, or suggest further
resources at the FreePint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/050204.htm#feature>
* Access the entire archive of FreePint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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>>> FreePint Reports -- In-depth; timely; value for money <<<
"An Introduction To Freedom Of Information" ISBN 1-904769-03-9
"Data Protection for Websites and Intranets" ISBN 1-904769-02-0
"Negotiating Licenses for Electronic Products" ISBN 1-904769-01-2
"Copyright and the Internet: Myth and Reality" ISBN 1-904769-00-4
<http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/>
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*** Keeping Legal ***
The implications of the Hutton inquiry for freedom of information,
Crown copyright, disability discrimination, data retention,
public sector information, open access, spam trends and
other legal issues affecting information professionals
<http://www.KeepingLegal.com>
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FREEPINT BOOKSHELF
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
"Building & Running a Successful Research Business"
By Mary Ellen Bates
Reviewed by Stephen Lee
How many of us, faced with another boring task, or more delays on our
journey home from the office, have fantasized about using our
information skills and working for ourselves? Mary Ellen Bates, author
of 'Building & Running a Successful Research Business', has run her
firm, Bates Information Services <http://www.BatesInfo.com/>, in the
U.S. since 1991, and here shares her experience and offers advice for
the prospective independent information professional (IIP).
As the author makes clear, this career choice is about more than
information skills alone. The book is divided into four sections -
Getting started, Running a business, Marketing, and Researching. Bates
first considers what working as an IIP actually entails, and the
personal qualities and discipline likely to be required. She then goes
on to focus in some detail on the options for establishing and running
a business (this is a commercial enterprise, after all), and then on
marketing and promoting the firm. Having laid this foundation, Bates
gets to grips with the nitty-gritty of information work, and the
specific services an IIP might provide to clients.
As Bates stresses, working as an IIP isn't simply a matter of sitting
at home, surfing the web, and getting paid for the privilege.
Professional skills certainly have their part to play; the ability to
conduct a successful reference interview, for example, and a thorough
awareness of available sources, are as valid in this world as they are
in others. To succeed, however, an IIP needs to offer his or her own
unique product to clients. In practice, this may well mean integrating
open access sources with charged for information services, and with
other investigatory and analytical techniques, to get at the
information the client wants, and to present it in a manner he or she
can use.
There's also some food for thought for those of us in the corporate
world. Much of the advice on marketing an information service
translates equally well elsewhere, as do the ideas for raising your
profile in the professional world - for example, through writing or
speaking, or through involvement with professional organisations.
An accessible style makes this title easy to read; it's also
illustrated with plenty of personal examples, and hints and tips from
other practitioners. Chapters are dotted with sidebars and panels
offering practical advice to the reader. The book does have a strong
(though not exclusively) US orientation, however, and the contacts and
examples included may need some interpretation before being employed
elsewhere.
Building & Running a Successful Research Business offers a practical
introduction to working as a freelance information professional. It
makes it clear that this career option may not be for everyone - but
if you're doing more than idle thinking on that delayed journey home,
it offers a good place to start your homework.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Steve Lee is Web Content Manager for Consumer Direct Online. Consumer
Direct, a new telephone and online consumer advice service supported
by the DTI, will be launched in mid-2004, and rolled out across
England, Scotland and Wales by 2007.
Before taking up his present post, he held a range of information
management posts in British Trade International (now UK Trade &
Investment), including information researcher, database and website
manager, and Information Manager for the Organisation's Freedom of
Information Act Publication Scheme.
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Related FreePint links:
* Find out more about this book online at the FreePint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/success.htm>
* Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk
<http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0910965625/freepint0c>
or Amazon.com
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0910965625/freepint00>
* "Building and Running a Successful Research Business"
ISBN 0910965625, published by CyberAge Books.
* Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the FreePint
Bookshelf at <http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
* Read about other Internet Searching books on the FreePint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/searching.htm>
To propose an information-related book for review, send details
to <bookshelf@freepint.com>.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/050204.htm#feature>
"10 things you should know about the UK's
Freedom of Information regime"
By Paul Pedley
[This article is an introduction to a topic which is covered more
comprehensively in the FreePint report 'Freedom of Information'
ISBN 1-904769-03-9 <http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/>]
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 promotes greater openness and
accountability. It comes fully into force on 1st January 2005. From
that date, everyone will have a legal right to request access to all
types of "recorded" information held by public bodies. It is likely
that these rights will be used not only by members of the public, but
also by the media and by pressure groups. The Act covers around
100,000 public authorities such as central government, local
government, further and higher education, the police and the National
Health Service. There will be a presumption that the information will
have to be supplied within 20 working days.
According to TSO (The Stationery Office) a staggering 97% of Whitehall
departments are worried about fast-approaching regulations, such as
Freedom of Information. Research also found that 30% of government
departments did not know what the deadline was for compliance.
Listed below are ten key points about the UK's freedom of information
system that everyone should be aware of:
1. Freedom of Information requests under the UK legislation can be
from anywhere in the world, and applicants do not have to refer to
the Act in their request. There is no formal application procedure.
An application simply has to:
* be in writing (this could be transmitted by electronic means
such as by email or by fax so long as it is received in legible form
and is capable of being used for subsequent reference
* state the name of the applicant and their address for correspondence
* it must describe the information being requested
The requestor may specify the format in which the information should
be provided, and the authority must comply where this is "reasonably
practicable". The requested format could be:
* in a summary written form
* in electronic form
* by inspection of documents on the authority's premises
2. The Act is fully retrospective
Public authorities will be obliged to provide information recorded
before and after the Act was passed. With most of the exemptions,
there is an obligation on the public authority to confirm or deny that
they hold the information, even if they ultimately do not disclose it
because of the "public interest" test. To be able to comply with this
obligation, public bodies need to have good records management
practices and procedures in place. A civil servant commented to me
some time ago that they were more concerned about whether they would
have the ability to confirm or deny that they held the information,
than they were with disclosing it.
3. The right of access relates to "information" rather than
to documents
Public authorities cannot simply consider whether a document as a
whole is covered by an exemption. Instead, they must consider whether
any part of the document is covered by one or more exemptions; and
where parts of a document are not covered by an exemption, an
authority must make such information available in response to a
request for information under section 1(1) of the Act.
4. Public authorities have to consider the "public interest" in
disclosing information
There are a number of exemptions to the general right of access to
information. Most of the exemptions have to be considered in two
stages. This means that the public authority must first decide whether
the exemption applies to all or part of the information requested and,
if so, the public authority then has to consider whether the public
interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in
disclosing the information. These are known as the qualified
exemptions. The Information Commissioner's view is that there is
likely to be a public interest in disclosing information (or
confirming or denying its existence) where this would:
* further understanding of and participation in the public debate of
issues of the day
* facilitate the accountability and transparency of public
authorities for decisions taken by them
* facilitate the accountability and transparency in the spending of
public money
* allow individuals to understand decisions made by public authorities
affecting their lives and, in some cases, assist individuals in
challenging those decisions
* bring to light information affecting public safety.
5. A "rich" publication scheme under the Act is the best way to
avoid problems with individual requests
Publication schemes are a means by which a public authority can make a
significant amount of information available routinely, without waiting
for someone to specifically request it. Where public authorities
automatically make available a significant amount of information, they
should have fewer FOI requests to deal with.
Section 21 of the Act says that information which is reasonably
accessible to the applicant otherwise than under section 1 is exempt
information. So, if the information is already available under the
authority's publication scheme, the authority simply needs to direct
the requester to the scheme and explain how they can obtain the
information they need.
Once the right of access to information is fully in force, it will be
good practice for authorities to keep a log of requests made for
information which is not included in their publication schemes and to
consider adding the class of information into which it falls as a new
class to be covered by the scheme. The log itself could also fall into
a class for publication under the scheme.
6. There is separate legislation for Scotland, but the UK legislation
still covers the activities of some public authorities in Scotland
Scotland has its own freedom of information legislation, the Freedom
of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 which applies to public authorities
undertaking devolved functions.
The UK Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies to certain public
bodies that are located in Scotland - for example, those parts of the
Ministry of Defence or the Department for International Development
which are based in Scotland.
7. The Freedom of Information Act extends the right of access to
personal data to include unstructured personal data
Unstructured personal data means any recorded information held by a
public authority other than information which is recorded as part of,
or with the intention that it should form part of, any set of
information relating to individuals to the extent that the set is
structured by reference to individuals or by reference to criteria
relating to individuals.
Section 69 of the Act inserts s9A into the Data Protection Act, but
this only relates to public authorities.
8. There are examples of freedom of information requests and how
they were handled available from other jurisdictions
In order to prepare for the right of access to information which takes
place in January 2005, public authorities may wish to look at how
freedom of information requests have been handled in other
jurisdictions. For example, there is a searchable database of requests
under Canada's Access to Information Act at
<http://faculty.maxwell.syr.edu/asroberts/foi/track/index.html>.
9. It is an offence to destroy information with a view to
avoiding disclosure
Where a valid request for information has been made to a public
authority under section 1 of the Act or section 7 of the Data
Protection Act, a person is guilty of an offence if he alters,
defaces, blocks, erases, destroys or conceals any record held by the
public authority, with the intention of preventing the disclosure by
that authority of all, or any part, of the relevant information
(section 77).
If a record due for destruction is known to be the subject of a
request for information, destruction should be delayed until after the
request has been processed.
10. The Freedom of Information regime does have implications for
business
While the Freedom of Information Act gives citizens a right of access
to information held by public authorities, it does nevertheless have
implications for private sector organisations. For example, where
companies do business with public sector organisations, they need to
be aware that the s45 code of practice administered by the Department
for Constitutional Affairs says that when entering into contracts
public authorities should refuse to include contractual terms which
purport to restrict the disclosure of information held by the
authority and relating to the contract beyond the restrictions that
are permitted by the Act.
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Paul Pedley is not a lawyer and is not able to give legal advice. The
contents of this article do not constitute legal advice and should not
be relied upon in that way.
These areas are explored in more detail in the report "Freedom of
Information" ISBN 1-904769-03-9 which is available from FreePint
<http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/>. The report also covers areas
such as the rights of applicants; fees and charges; records
management; complaints procedures; copyright and freedom of
information; and the interface between data protection and freedom
of information.
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Paul Pedley is Head of Research at the Economist Intelligence Unit,
and has previously worked in the information departments of a law
firm, property developer, and in a number of government departments.
Paul is a Fellow of CILIP; represents Aslib on the Libraries and
Archives Copyright Alliance; and is also on the steering group of the
JISC Legal Information service. Paul is also Editor of KeepingLegal
<http://www.KeepingLegal.com>. The service covers legal issues
affecting the information profession such as data protection,
copyright and freedom of information. There is a regular newsletter
which can be requested via the site. He regularly runs training
courses on copyright, data protection and freedom of information; as
well as on Internet topics such as the invisible Web, and business
information on the Internet.
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