EXTENDING the scope of the Freedom of Information Law should only be carried out once the existing system for answering requests has been made more efficient, the politician responsible for the legislation has said.
Deputy Malcolm Ferey, whose duties as Assistant Chief Minister include Freedom of Information, presented a review into the law and answered questions in the States Assembly.
The current system was described as “cumbersome and labour-intensive by Deputy Ferey, who admitted that there had been “limited” progress in extending the law since a vote to that intent had been passed in 2014.
Any widening of the scope of the law would need to be proportionate and practical, he said, and that it would be carried out in a manner that was “phased and evidence-led”.
And Deputy Ferey said that before extending the law, improvements needed to be made to the current system, which he said handled more than 1,000 requests per year.
Among the planned improvements he cited were the establishment of a centralised knowledge library, stronger collaboration between departments and a new digital Freedom of Information portal that would reduce the administrative burden and bring greater accuracy.
Other recommendations from the review included strengthening the protection against vexatious and repeated requests, as well as an investigation of the options and viability for non-resident charges.
Deputy Ferey said: “The Freedom of Information Law remains a cornerstone of open and accountable government.
“It has enabled Islanders to understand more clearly how decisions are made, how resources are allocated, and how public services operate.
“But transparency is not a static ambition – as government evolves, so too must the systems that protect the public’s right to know.”
Deputy Jonathan Renouf asked if account would be taken of the greater use of direct messaging compared with the era when the law was introduced in 2011.
Deputy Ferey acknowledged that platforms like WhatsApp and Teams were used a lot more, and agreed that this needed to be taken into account.
