ji459
Member
- Joined
- 1 Mar 2011
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- 112
From March 2015 it will be possible to request information from Network Rail under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004. There are deadlines for replying to such requests (usually 20 working days) and requests can only be refused on certain specific grounds (for example commercial sensitivity). Anyone who is not satisfied with a reply can ultimately complain to the Information Commission's Office.
It is only possible to make such requests if the organisation is a "public authority" and there has been some litigation about whether water companies in England fall in that category. A recent judgment has decided that they do because they "perform public administrative functions".
Anyone feeling creative might try and use the judgment to argue that train operating companies are also public authorities. If a TOC refused a request because they said they weren't subject to the Act or Regulations, according to the judgment a complaint could be made to the Information Commissioner's Office, who would be able to decide.
It is only possible to make such requests if the organisation is a "public authority" and there has been some litigation about whether water companies in England fall in that category. A recent judgment has decided that they do because they "perform public administrative functions".
Anyone feeling creative might try and use the judgment to argue that train operating companies are also public authorities. If a TOC refused a request because they said they weren't subject to the Act or Regulations, according to the judgment a complaint could be made to the Information Commissioner's Office, who would be able to decide.