Public urged to ask for information

| 27/09/2010

(CNS): As Right to Know Week 2010 gets underway, the Information Commissioner’s Office is urging people to use the Freedom of Information Law and ask what they want to know. A range of activities has been organised for this week to raise awareness about the law, and the theme for this year’s event is "Just Ask…what you need to know". Everyone and anyone can use the FOI law to access anything, from their own immigration file to information on government spending, and despite complaints from the premier, they still can do so anonymously. “FOI is for everyone,” said Information Commissioner Jennifer Dilbert. “Financial records, policy statements, decision and statistical reports represent some of the request trends. However, anyone anywhere can make a request.”

She encouraged all residents to take advantage of the promotional week to learn how they can benefit from FOI provisions. Planned events include an Open House tea at the ICO’s Elizabethan Square offices on Tuesday afternoon, a Government House reception for information managers, an ICO fact-sharing visit to Cayman Brac, and a meet-and-greet at George Town hospital on Friday morning. Also scheduled are presentations to students and service clubs, a GIS Spotlight TV segment and media debates on a range of FOI-related issues.
 
ICO staff and government information managers will engage in other outreach efforts such as distributing giveaways and answering questions at shopping centre venues.
 
For more information on RTK activities, or for more information on making an FOI request, contact the ICO on 747-5405 or info@infocomm.ky
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Category: FOI

About the Author ()

Comments (4)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. :o) says:
    28/09/2010 at 3:40 pm

    Yes… please, just ask us what you need to know…

    We know how to slow down the work of government, and consume their energies from helping the public. We know just how to keep them so busy they have no time to govern the islands correctly

    • Anon says:
      28/09/2010 at 7:52 pm

      oh poor you!

      If only the government were busy being efficient, providing responses to FOI requests would take no more than a couple of keystrokes on the computer to call up the relevant records.  If the same requests were made to most private sector companies, you would hear all this complaining.

  2. Anonymous says:
    28/09/2010 at 2:35 pm

    Dear FOI,

    Do the minutes on one’s immigration file show who voted "yes" and who voted "no". 

    Can this information be obtained?

    If there is any mischief, that can be proven, on the part of Board Members can they be personally held liable?

    If so, what type of penalties can they face?

    • Anonymous says:
      29/09/2010 at 1:07 am

      Not sure about what is exactly in an immigration file, but you can go go and take a look.

      The Complaints Commissioner is the person who deals with complaints against government.  If you uncover that your case was not dealt with fairly, they are the people to talk to.

«
»