A senior council officer says that public bodies should make
more information freely available rather than wait for requests
under the Freedom of Information Act.
Speaking at the
G2010 government IT conference,
John Shewell, head of Corporate Communications at Brighton and
Hove City Council, said the public should not need to make FOI
requests to obtain information that should be available anyway.
Politicians should not lose their nerve in trusting the public
with information. "We have got into the habit of centralised
control of information. The online world does not work like
that."
He said that the Freedom of Information Act should be put on the
back burner and information released unless it is manifestly too
sensitive to divulge. "The organisation is there fundamentally to
serve the public."
Shewell was speaking during a panel discussion on "The Internet
and Social Inclusion" at the G2010 conference. He argued that
councils should use social media to "break down barriers and
connect with residents". He is a board member of the Chartered
Institute of Public Relations Local Public Sector Group and a
member of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives.
Video of "The Internet and Social Inclusion" filmed at
G2010