§ Hywel WilliamsTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action he has taken to co-ordinate the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by Government Departments. [23469]
§ Mr. WillsOverall responsibility for implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 rests with the Lord Chancellor as Head of the Department with lead responsibility for the legislation. The Lord Chancellor chairs the Cabinet sub-committee on Freedom of Information and Data Protection, of which Ministers from all central Government Departments are members.
Two interdepartmental officials groups have been set up to support the Ministerial committee. The Senior Group on Freedom of Information and Data Protection consists of those senior officials from across Whitehall, and the devolved Administrations, who have responsibility for implementing Freedom of Information and Data Protection in their organisations. The group meets every three months and has been set up to look at major implementation questions affecting central Government.
883WThe senior group is supported by the Practitioner's Group on Freedom of Information. It consists of officials with day to day knowledge of open Government and implementation of the Freedom of Information Act in their respective Departments. The function of this group is to address common issues related to the implementation of the legislation. The group also acts as a forum for sharing best practice and helps to ensure consistency in approach across central Government.