A report by a committee of MPs said that it was not confident that adequate preparations had been made to ensure that all areas of the public service covered by the new freedom of information legislation would be ready for its introduction on 1 January 2005.
Source: Freedom of Information Act 2000: Progress towards implementation, First Report (Session 2004-05), HC 79, House of Commons Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
The government announced that 'the vast majority' of requests made under new Freedom of Information rights would be free of charge. For information which cost public bodies less than 450 to retrieve and collate, there would be no charge.
Source: Press release 18 October 2004, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: DCA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Oct
The public appointments watchdog said that complaints about appointments to public bodies almost halved in 2003-04. But four government departments were found to be breaching guidelines on fair and transparent public appointments.
Source: Ninth Report 2003 2004, Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (020 7276 2625)
Links: Report (pdf) | OCPA press release (Word file) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
A report argued that public accountability was not being effectively exercised in the United Kingdom, and that a credibility gap was emerging because of confusion about how the accountability relationship should be practised between the governed and the governers.
Source: Jane Martin, Public Accountability in Practice: The need for public scrutiny, Public Management and Policy Association (info.pmpa@cipfa.org)
Links: CIPFA press release
Date: 2004-Jul
The Parliamentary Ombudsman published a summary of investigations conducted by her into complaints over denial of access to official information.
Source: Access to Official Information: Investigations completed July 2003 to June 2004, HC 701, Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (0845 015 4033)
Links: Report (pdf) | PCA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
Campaigners said that there had been a 30 per cent increase in the number of Whitehall frauds stopped by whistleblowers since the Public Interest Disclosure Act came into force in 1999.
Source: Press release 15 June 2004, Public Concern at Work (020 7404 6609)
Links: PCW press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
The parliamentary ombudsman reportedly ruled that the Prime Minister should disclose information about his pattern of meetings with commercial lobbyists.
Source: The Guardian, 16 March 2004
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2004-Mar
The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments published a revised code of practice for ministerial appointments to public bodies.
Source: Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies, Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (020 7276 2625)
Links: Code (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
A committee of MPs published a draft bill aimed at safeguarding the principle of the independence and impartiality of the civil service. The bill would also give parliament powers to limit the numbers of special advisers appointed by ministers. An Opposition Day debate was also held on a proposal to introduce a Civil Service Bill.
Source: A Draft Civil Service Bill: Completing the reform, First Report (Session 2003-04), HC 128-I, House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 21 January 2004, columns 1329-1388, TSO
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Hansard
Date: 2004-Jan
The Committee on Standards in Public Life launched an inquiry into the processes for maintaining high standards of conduct in public bodies, local government and the National Health Service.
Source: Getting the Balance Right - Implementing standards of conduct in public life, Tenth Report, Committee on Standards in Public Life (020 7276 2595)
Links: Consultation document (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jan
The parliamentary ombudsman reportedly ruled that there should be no 'blanket ban' on the disclosure of background information given to ministers in relation to parliamentary questions: information should be published unless it harmed the quality of future advice.
Source: The Guardian, 7 January 2004
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jan