Transcript The Environment Agency and Freedom of Information

Lorna Roxburgh
Freedom of Information Policy Advisor
Environment Agency
Access to Information
 We have a stated policy of being an open and transparent
organisation
 Providing access to information is key to this
 Therefore:
‘We will provide information unless there is a very good
reason not to do so’
Access to Information
The public has a statutory right of access to…all
recorded information and data, held by us, unless an
exemption applies.

We have…a duty to respond to requests and provide
advice/assistance.

The Freedom of Information Act…places a number of
extra duties on us to pro-actively make information
available.

The 3 pillars
• Access to Information
• Public Participation in Environmental Decision Making
• Access to Justice in Environmental Matters
Drivers
‘[ensure that the public can] ... understand what is happening in
the environment around them; and participate in environmental
decision-making in an informed manner.’
UNECE ‘Aarhus’ Convention, 1998
Public Register Process
Application
Advert
Consultation Responses
Licence
Monitoring
Action
Drivers
‘[ensure that the public can] ... understand what is happening in
the environment around them; and participate in environmental
decision-making in an informed manner.’
UNECE ‘Aarhus’ Convention, 1998
but………………..
‘[there is] … a critical difference between
going through the empty ritual of participation and having
the real power needed to affect the outcome of the process’
Arnstein (1969, p.216)
Public Registers: do they work?
• Are people aware?
• Are paper files convenient?
• Is the information presented meaningfully?
• Is location in offices convenient?
• Do we reach a wide cross-section of society?
• Could we do better?!
4 key barriers to Participation through the use of Public Registers
Awareness
Access
Suitability
Cost
Awareness
4 key barriers to the use of Participation through Public Registers
Awareness
Access
Suitability
Cost
Access + Suitability
4 key barriers to the use of Participation through Public Registers
Awareness
Access
Suitability
Cost
Cost
Public Registers that are not an empty ritual
Limitations of the service
• Awareness raising throughout Agency web services
- but does not reach “the excluded”
• Passive not proactive
- still rely on internet browsing
• Metadata not documents
- person may still need to travel to the office
• Does not facilitate participation
- does time lag still mean an ‘empty ritual?’
• One size fits all service
- public, pressure groups, NGO, Local Government, housewife
Future
• Short term
Development of a suite of electronic tools
Series of public participation trials
• Medium term
Analysis and review of electronic Public Registers Project
Recommendations for way forward
• Long term
Integration of our electronic systems (i.e linking permitting
and public registers)
Seamless transition between our frontend and backend system
Next steps
Geospatial
Data
O
r
g
a
n
i
s
a
t
i
o Operational
n and historical
documents
GI Tools
Register for e services
participation and consultation
register location of interest
register company of interest
Register for information format
data
maps
leaflets
SMS
Search for information
e Services
Forums
Debate
Issue related groups
Consultation
Networking
Auto messaging
e:mail
SMS
Customer
Services
XML, GML PDFs
text, documents …
leaflets,
processed information
Local Authorities
Agencies
Local networks
Digital TV
Local Newspapers
Discussion Topics
1.
What do you think of the Environment Agency information
provision?
2.
How could we improve?
3.
What do you think are the constraints?
4.
What are the pros and cons of moving to solely electronic
consultations?