An article examined the impact of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on five characteristics of central government: the culture of secrecy, ministerial accountability to Parliament, civil service neutrality, the Cabinet system, and effective government.
Source: Robert Hazell and Mark Glover, 'The impact of freedom of information on Whitehall', Public Administration, Volume 89 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
An ombudsman report said that complaint-handling by government bodies was 'inconsistent, haphazard and unaccountable'.
Source: Responsive and Accountable? The Ombudsman s review of complaint handling by government departments and public bodies 2010-11, HC 1551, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, TSO
Links: Report | PHSO press release | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Oct
A report said that the coalition government had introduced a series of measures designed to make it harder for citizens to obtain administrative justice from public bodies. It highlighted the reduction in legal aid; the proposed introduction of fees in some tribunals; the proposed democratic filter for complaints to the Housing Ombudsman; and the lengthening delays in providing hearing dates for appeals in many areas.
Source: Securing Fairness and Redress: Administrative Justice at Risk?, Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council
Links: Report | AJTC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Oct
The coalition government began consultation on its proposed strategy for 'open data', aimed at establishing a culture of openness and transparency in public services. The consultation sought views on how the government might enhance a 'right to data' – establishing stronger rights for individuals, businesses, and other actors to obtain data from public service providers; how to set transparency standards that enforce this right to data; how public service providers might be held to account for delivering open data; and how to ensure the collection and publication of the most useful data.
Source: Making Open Data Real: A public consultation, Cabinet Office
Links: Consultation document | Cabinet Office press release | ICO press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Aug
A report (by an official advisory body) recommended reforms designed to modernize the statutory regimes governing the Parliamentary Commissioner; the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales; and the Health Service, Local Government and Housing Ombudsmen. It called for the barriers to the work of the ombudsmen created by the existing law to be removed, and for a government review of the ombudsmen and their relationship with other institutions for administrative justice.
Source: Public Services Ombudsmen, LC329, HC 1136, Law Commission, TSO
Links: Report | Summary | Inside Housing report
Date: 2011-Jul
The coalition government published a new corporate governance code for central government departments, designed to improve their transparency and accountability. There would be greater ministerial involvement in departmental business, with secretaries of state chairing board meetings. Around one-third of board members would be non-executives from outside government – primarily from the private commercial sector.
Source: Corporate Governance in Central Government Departments: Code of Good Practice 2011, HM Treasury/Cabinet Office
Links: Code | HMT press release
Date: 2011-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that there was a need for action to reconcile the government's policy objective of public services reform, and its localism agenda, with the demands of accountability to Parliament.
Source: Accountability for Public Money, Twenty-eighth Report (Session 2010-11), HC 740, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Apr
A new book examined the modern role of public service ombudsmen within the overall emerging system of administrative justice, and made recommendations as to how they should optimize their potential.
Source: Trevor Buck, Richard Kirkham, and Brian Thompson, The Ombudsman Enterprise and Administrative Justice, Ashgate Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Feb