HC Deb 15 November 2001 vol 374 cc895-6W
Norman Baker

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if it is his policy that the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is to be implemented in stages.[15196]

Mr. Wills

The Freedom of Information Act will be fully implemented by January 2005, 11 months before the timetable set out in the Act itself. The publication scheme provisions will be implemented first, on a rolling programme, starting with central Government in November 2002. A full schedule of organisations and dates of implementation was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 13 November. This roll-out will be completed in June 2004 and the individual right of access to information held by all public authorities will be implemented in January 2005.