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freekernow
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Posted: 22.01.2007, 19:51
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registered: Sep. 2005
Posts: 205
Status: offline
last visit: 15.04.07
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The Department for Communities and Local Government
Eland House
Bressenden Place
London
SW1E 5DU 22 January, 2007
Dear Sir
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000
I refer to the 50,000 signature ‘Cornish Declaration’ which was passed to the Prime Minister on 12th December, 2001.
I should like copies of all and any Government documents prepared following receipt of the declaration together with a list of Departments consulted.
Was the Duchy of Cornwall consulted ?
Yours faithfully
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Fulub-le-Breton
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Posted: 22.01.2007, 19:57
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registered: Sep. 2004
Posts: 4528
Status: online
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Good idea!
Why not raise this and loads more murkey issues on the new forum for talk democracy?
It's completely free to register on the site. Just go to: www.talkdemocracy.org.uk/talk and register.
edited by: Fulub-le-Breton, Oct 12, 2007 - 01:51 PM
The Cornish Democrat
The Breton Connection
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Shaz
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Posted: 22.01.2007, 20:07
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registered: Feb. 2006
Posts: 1603
Status: offline
last visit: 21.11.08
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Just been to the talk democracy forum, I noticed Cornwall is not listed under Institutions, also when I went to my region my only option was SW. Just waiting for comformation email.
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Fulub-le-Breton
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Posted: 22.01.2007, 20:12
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registered: Sep. 2004
Posts: 4528
Status: online
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Same as that, should put the site in the CSP links really.
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Fulub-le-Breton
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Posted: 25.01.2007, 16:38
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registered: Sep. 2004
Posts: 4528
Status: online
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I hope everybody has sent off a similar e-mail or letter.
Here is their contact: http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1159207
edited by: Fulub-le-Breton, Oct 12, 2007 - 01:51 PM
The Cornish Democrat
The Breton Connection
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Fulub-le-Breton
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Posted: 03.02.2007, 15:23
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registered: Sep. 2004
Posts: 4528
Status: online
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The incredibly shrinking Freedom of Information Act?: http://www.makeitanissue.org.uk/2007/01/the_incredibly_shrinking_freed.php#comment70
edited by: Fulub-le-Breton, Oct 12, 2007 - 01:52 PM
The Cornish Democrat
The Breton Connection
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Fulub-le-Breton
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Posted: 11.02.2007, 18:05
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registered: Sep. 2004
Posts: 4528
Status: online
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From some time in March when the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2007 come into force, the Freedom of Information Act will be virtually useless to serious enquirers, see: http://www.dca....6-condoc.pdf
If you think this is a bad thing then write:http://www.dca....uk/index.htm
The Cornish Democrat
The Breton Connection
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Fulub-le-Breton
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Posted: 12.10.2007, 12:55
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registered: Sep. 2004
Posts: 4528
Status: online
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ARTICLE 19 press release
9 October 2007
Chorus of Voices Calls for Stronger Access to Information Treaty Ahead of Final Drafting Meeting
Information Commissioners from six European countries have added their voices to a broad coalition of over 500 NGOs and individuals calling on the Council of Europe to reinforce its proposed European Convention on Access to Official Documents. The drafting group, which convenes for its last scheduled meeting from October 9 - 12, also faces calls from the OSCE to ensure the final text does not fall below existing European standards.
An open letter submitted to the Council of Europe today and signed by 245 civil society organisations and 269 individuals welcomes the initiative to draft what is set to become the world's first general treaty on access to information, but warns that there are a number of serious shortcomings in the current text.
The letter urges the 15-member Group of Specialists tasked with drafting the treaty to reflect prevailing good practice across the Council of Europe Member States and to refrain from a lowest common denominator approach whereby exceptions are carved out to accommodate individual States' 'existing laws. Amongst the key problems the letter points to are:
1. The treaty does not require governments to give access to all information held by legislative bodies and judicial authorities, seriously limiting the scope of the right to information;
2. The treaty does not give a right of access to information relating to public functions which are performed by private bodies - a particular concern in the era of privatization of government functions; and
3. The treaty does not specify a minimum set of information that governments should make available proactively, without the need for requests, such as basic organisational and financial information, or data on public procurement processes.
A separate letter from the OSCE Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media warns there are "substantial deficiencies in the draft Convention". Information commissioners from Germany , Hungary , Slovenia , Serbia and the United Kingdom have also written to the Group of Specialists supporting the points raised by civil society, and the Macedonian Commission joined the civil society letter.
The Group of Specialists drafting the treaty has been operating on the basis of consensus, meaning that any country representative can essentially veto a proposal for improved language. The Slovenian observer has called instead for votes to be counted on divided issues. This would be consistent a fully transparent process of decision-making.
Dr Agnès Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19 stated: "The right of access to information is a recognized fundamental human right which applies to all public bodies: executive, legislative and judicial. It would be absurd for Europe's main human rights body, the Council of Europe, to adopt a treaty that excludes the right of access to information essential to the democratic process, namely that held by the legislatures and judiciaries of its 47 member states. To do so would reverse the significant progress on government transparency made in Eastern Europe since the fall of the Berlin wall, and would give all European governments carte blanche to increase secrecy and to withhold information from the 800 million people living in the Council of Europe region."
According to Dr Callamard, the similar threats to openness have arisen in discussions about the reform to European Union transparency rules. She stressed that "it is important that the Council of Europe treaty set high standards for the right of access to information both for national governments and for supranational structures such as the European Union."
The Group of Specialists which is tasked with drafting the European Convention on Access to Official Documents began work in January 2006 and its mandate runs out at the end of 2007. The upcoming meeting (9-12 October) is the last one scheduled before that time. The draft treaty requires approval from the Council of Europe's Steering Committee on Human Rights and Council of Ministers before it can be opened for signatures and ratification.
The civil society open letter with details on the full range of concerns can be downloaded at: http://tinyurl.com/yr4fnr
The OSCE letter can be accessed at http://tinyurl.com/2xpaaz and the draft Convention is available in Appendix III of the Council of Europe meeting reports at http://tinyurl.com/2vjtoo
ARTICLE 19 is an independent human rights organisation that works globally to protect and promote the right to freedom of expression. It takes its name from Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees free speech.
For further information, contact Daniel Simons, Legal Officer, ARTICLE 19, tel: + 44 20 7239 1192
--
HREA - www.hrea.org
Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) is an international non-governmental organisation that supports human rights learning; the training of activists and professionals; the development of educational materials and programming; and community-building through on-line technologies.
Bring the Duchy within the scope of the FOI act!!!
I think we really need to make a fuss about this.
The Cornish Democrat
The Breton Connection
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Fulub-le-Breton
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Posted: 14.10.2007, 10:10
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registered: Sep. 2004
Posts: 4528
Status: online
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The CSP now has an FOI section in its links:http://cornishs...+Information
The Cornish Democrat
The Breton Connection
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