Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 14
14
To ensure clearer lines of accountability and to aid the Freedom of Information responsibilities of...
Recommendation
To ensure clearer lines of accountability and to aid the Freedom of Information responsibilities of the Information Commissioner’s Office, the Government should consider how to better align departmental policy responsibility and financial responsibility for the Information Commissioner’s Office’s Freedom of Information work. The Government can achieve this by either moving budgetary responsibility for such matters to the Cabinet Office or by transferring policy responsibility for Freedom of Information from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. (Paragraph 68) The Cabinet Office Freedom of Information Clearing House 27
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Government believes it is important that the Information Commissioner’s Office is funded at a sufficient level to enable the Commissioner to carry out his statutory functions. The ICO’s sponsor department within the Government is the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). DCMS works with the Cabinet Office to remain updated on Freedom of Information policy and to discuss budgetary responsibility where appropriate. This governance structure helps to avoid any perception that there is a potential conflict of interest with FOI policy. We would remind the Committee that the Information Commissioner has a number of regulatory and legislative duties including Data Protection.