Monthly Archives: August 2013

How to find out what data an organisation holds – use the Data Protection Register

Data Protection Act

Here’s a useful tip if you’re thinking of requesting information from an organisation – or just looking for ideas: check the Data Protection Register first.

All organisations who collect data must register with the Information Commissioner’s Office. A copy of the public register is available to search on their website. Continue reading

FOIA Without the Lawyer – review and highlights

FOIA Without the Lawyer

I’ve been meaning to review FOIA Without the Lawyer for almost a year now. A natural companion to Heather Brooke’s introductory Your Right To Know, this takes the challenges that come after the FOI is submitted: the niggling exemptions and excuses used by public bodies to avoid supplying information requested under the Act.

In the process it details numerous ways of anticipating and responding to them, including various references to official guidance, tips from FOI officers, and experiences of journalists and others using FOI, all of which are hugely helpful. I’ve tried to summarise some of them here: Continue reading