The UK body for social enterprise has recommended that the Freedom of Information Act should be reviewed so that companies delivering public services are included under the scope of the Act.
Social Enterprise, in their report recommend:
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and the powers that support transparency
urgently need reviewing. As outsourcing of public services expands, the public’s right
to information is shrinking. The Act only applies to information that a public authority
holds about a contract or which it can compel a contractor to supply to it – rendering
the powers of the act no longer fit for purpose.FOI powers should be extended to companies delivering public services – but these
should be revised to take account of proportional cost burdens on smaller providers,
appropriate timeframes for independent contractors, and clear guidelines on
information that contractors are required to provide under FOI.