Ombudsman’s report – Obstructing freedom of information

It can hardly be a coincidence that since the Government introduced fees and related charges under Freedom of Information (FOI) that the number of applications has fallen by more than 50%, and by as much as 75% for requests for non-personal information.

Some charge is understandable, but it should be pitched at a reasonable level, rather than the exorbitant fees that now apply.

In her first report, Ombudsman and Information Commissioner Emily O'Reilly felt strongly enough about the issue to deal with it in a separate report.