A recent information access request to Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council has produced another surprising revelation from a public authority that appears not to take the relevant statutory framework, and matters flowing from it, at all seriously enough. Indeed they were exposed within the past three months as deceiving a local politician in order to frustrateContinue reading “Council reveal their detachment from controversial information rights tribunal”
Tag Archives: Information Commissioner’s Office
Police watchdog claims that disclosing dates of inspections will inhibit its ability to function
On 12th September, 2021, an information access request was made to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Police, Fire and Rescue Services. It was headlined ‘Planned HMICFRS inspections at Greater Manchester Police’. The text of the request was plainly expressed: Please disclose, by way of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the following: (i) the dates andContinue reading “Police watchdog claims that disclosing dates of inspections will inhibit its ability to function”
“Do not Fear Them. Do Not Fear Any of Them”
On Monday 11th October, 2021, Raja Miah, from Mossley, Tameside will appear, remotely, before leading information rights judge, Stephen Cragg QC, and two lay Panel members at a General Regulatory Chamber, First Tier Tribunal hearing. The disgraced political activist, currently on police bail over suspicions of racially aggravated public order and malicious communications offences, isContinue reading ““Do not Fear Them. Do Not Fear Any of Them””
Chocolat scandal comes back to bite watchdog
A scandal that broke earlier this year over alleged misuse of a corporate credit card has come back to bite the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). In February, 2021 the information rights watchdog said it was investigating itself over how one of its corporate credit cards was used to spend £6,248.40 with luxury chocolate specialist HotelContinue reading “Chocolat scandal comes back to bite watchdog”
Freedom of information requests – Greater Manchester Police in Special Measures
To support ongoing journalistic investigations into the well-publicised shortcomings of Greater Manchester Police, two conjoined requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) were made to the Home Office and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue (HMICFRS) on 13th September, 2021 by Neil Wilby. Home Office Please disclose the following information by wayContinue reading “Freedom of information requests – Greater Manchester Police in Special Measures”
Freedom of Information request to Greater Manchester Police – Operation Cayman
On 6th August, 2021, the following request was made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA or FOI or the Act). It followed publication, elsewhere on this website, of an article about a knife crime initiative launched by Greater Manchester Police‘s Q Division in Oldham and backed by one of the town’s MPs, Jim McMahonContinue reading “Freedom of Information request to Greater Manchester Police – Operation Cayman”
Only one Yorkshire police force knows how many unsolved murders amongst their files.
In a departure from past practice, updates to requests made by Neil Wilby, under the Freedom of Information Act, 2000 (‘FOIA’ or ‘The Act’), will, in future, be charted on this website. Each request or group of requests will occupy a separate page. Previously, a combination of Twitter and the iconic What Do They KnowContinue reading “Only one Yorkshire police force knows how many unsolved murders amongst their files.”
Barking up the wrong tree
In November last year, writes Neil Wilby, an article was published on this website that charted the course of what is now a year long journalistic investigation into alleged serious wrongdoing by police, MPs and local councillors in Oldham, a large Pennine town on the eastern edge of the Greater Manchester region (read in fullContinue reading “Barking up the wrong tree”
Staring into the abyss
As an eight year old lad, I was hit by a car whilst crossing the main road near the tied colliery cottage in Whitwood, Castleford that was my family home at that time (number fifteen, the house with the unkempt gable in the picture). The injuries were not life threatening, but I was detained inContinue reading “Staring into the abyss”
Mystery of the ‘missing’ peer review
An important part of an investigative journalist’s armoury is the Freedom of Information Act, 2000. The essential principle being that public authorities, unless they can provide a good, and lawful, reason not to do so, must disclose information, upon request, by a member of the public. Or, indeed, a reporter chasing down an ‘exclusive’. ‘PublicContinue reading “Mystery of the ‘missing’ peer review”
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