Media Roundup

Barnet Times - Private papers ‘blowing in the wind’
"Barnet Council has promised to revise the way it disposes of confidential documents after reams of private benefits records were found near the North Circular Road."

Daily Telegraph - Doctors in denial over problem of drink, says BMA chief
"More than 700 doctors or nurses have been disciplined for offences at work involving drugs or alcohol in the past 10 years, a BBC 1 programme says tonight.But the figures, obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, may seriously under-represent the scale of the problem Real Story will say."

Sunday Herald - Holyrood secrecy over McLetchie expenses
"HOLYROOD officials are refusing to reveal full details of expenses claims lodged by Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie. They have blocked a request tabled by the Sunday Herald under freedom of information legislation that would reveal the destinations of many of the Pentlands MSP’s taxi claims."

Observer- Ministers' diaries stay secret as Falconer stalls again
"Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor, was under fire this weekend for backsliding on a pledge to publish ministerial diaries under the government's new freedom of information legislation."

Independent - US regulator suppresses vital data on prescription drugs on sale in Britain
""As part of the Freedom of Information Act, the agency is required to make available its reports on all drugs that are approved. Unfortunately, these reports are not as useful as they could be,'' he and his team say in an editorial in the British Medical Journal"

BBC - Nuclear waste sites list revealed
"Five sites in Scotland which were considered for dumping nuclear waste, have been publicly unveiled for the first time. The list was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act after being kept under wraps for 20 years."

BBC - Tory nuclear waste sites revealed
"A list of 12 sites considered for storing nuclear waste by John Major's government has been released under the Freedom of Information Act."

Legal Week - Property & Planning: Land particulars
"The Freedom of Information Act spells opportunity for property companies. Under the legislation public authorities can be forced to disclose information about their plans to dispose of, or procure new land. Dan Tench outlines how the Act may be useful to the property sector."

Edgware Times - TfL’s North Circular plan challenged
"The 2004 Hyder report, which was commissioned by Transport for London (TfL) and released under the Freedom of Information Act this week, concluded that the £600 million North Circular scheme, which promised major improvements for road users, provided better value for money than the Mayor's smaller Bounds Green scheme."

Government Computing - LSE proposes ID lite
"The government would hold minimal personal data under the alternative ID scheme proposed by the LSE"

This is Money - Pernod in bid for OFT data
"PERNOD Ricard is using the Freedom of Information Act in an unprecedented attempt to force the Office of Fair Trading to release commercially sensitive data about a major competitor."

Plymouth Herald - Police staff ready to use new act as pay review row rumbles on
"Police staff at the centre of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary's failed pay review are trying to discover how the decision to cut wages was made. A group of around 60 workers are applying under the Freedom of Information Act for details of the controversial job evaluation plan."

Daily Telgraph - How Whitehall weighed Railtrack options
"Documents published on the Department for Transport's website in response to a Freedom of Information request show officials were asked to explore both options as far back as February 2001."

Dundee Courier - Executive may never reveal full cost of G8
"The public may never know the full cost of security and policing at the G8 summit at Gleneagles after Scottish ministers imposed an unprecedented gagging order on the event."

Egov monitor - Welsh Councils Not Exploiting IT for FOI
"Snapshot of Welsh local authorities' progress with FOI shows many are not automating."