Freedom of Information laws 'misused' by journalists, says Chris Grayling

Commons Leader criticises journalists for using Act as a tool to 'generate' stories

Mr Grayling says FOI should not be used as a journalist's 'research tool' (Getty Images)

The Commons Leader has accused journalists of “misusing” Freedom of Information laws to “generate” stories.

Chris Grayling criticised journalists for using the Freedom of Information Act as a “research tool” and said it should be used for “those who want to understand why and how government is taking decisions”.

The Government has set up an FOI Commission to review the scope of existing laws, which permit members of the public, journalists and campaigners to access information.

The Government, police forces and hospital trusts are among those covered by existing FOI laws, although campaigners fear the commission will recommend increasing the cost of requests and limiting its scope.

During the business question in the Commons, Mr Grayling said: “The truth is the Freedom of Information Act is something this Government is committed to but we want to make sure it works well and fairly, it cannot be abused, it cannot be misused.

“It is on occasions misused by those who use it effectively as a research tool to generate stories for the media. That isn’t acceptable. It is a legitimate and important tool for those who want to understand why and how the Government is taking decisions and it is not the intention of this Government to change that.”

Maurice Frankel, director of the UK Campaign for Freedom of Information, said: “The Act is there for journalists as much as anybody else.”

Bob Satchwell, director of the Society of Editors, said he was “dismayed”, adding: “The whole point of the Freedom of Information Act was so the public could be better informed.”

But Tom Watson, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said the act should be extended, rather than restricted, to enable greater scrutiny of public authorities.

In a letter to Society of Editors president Nick Turner about its #HandsOffFOI campaign, Mr Watson said: “Without the Act, the death rates of individual cardiac surgeons would not have been published by the NHS, we would not have learned that the police use Tasers on children and the existence of cracks in the nuclear power station at Hinckley would have stayed hidden.”

Press Association