ICO monitors 33 FoI flouters

The Information Commissioner's Office is to monitor the organisations for three months, but could take action during this time if it finds that compliance is particularly poor, or there seems to be an unwillingness to make improvements. As well as four Whitehall departments, the list includes 18 local authorities such as Birmingham City Council and seven London boroughs. It also includes the capital's police force and transport authority. In health, the list includes the Camden and Islington NHS Foundation trust and the North West Strategic Health Authority. Graham Smith, the deputy information commissioner, said: "In the five years since the Freedom of Information Act was brought into force, a significant number of the complaints we receive are about organisations that take too long to respond to information requests." He said that the three months period was a "perfect opportunity for the authorities named to get their houses in order and demonstrate that they take freedom of information requests seriously". The list was drawn up after the ICO examined the number of complaints it received and organisations where more than 15% of FoI requests were not answered within an appropriate timeframe. The 33 public sector organisations subject to special monitoring are: Babergh DC Birmingham City Council British Transport Police Bromsgrove DC Cabinet Office Calderdale Council Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission Department for Work and Pensions Government Equalities Office Gravesham BC Great Yarmouth BC Home Office Lancashire CC Legal Services Commission LB Barnet LB Croydon LB Ealing LB Hammersmith and Fulham LB Islington LB Newham Medway Council Metropolitan Police Service Ministry of Defence North West Strategic Health Authority Northern Ireland Office Rural Payments Agency Surrey Heath BC The Scotland Office Transport for London Westminster City Council Wirral Metropolitan BC Wolverhampton City Council