Media update

Society of Editors' conference, Windermere
"A discussion on the impact of the Freedom of Information Act focused on whether it had worked in reality - and how the public and journalists have used and interpreted it.


Deputy information commissioner Graham Smith said the act appeared to be working well - but pointed out that it took time and it was unfair to judge it on its first nine months, where just 50 out of 2,000 requests had been answered.

Maurice Frankel, director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, illustrated the talk by showing examples of stories which have been published because of the act. But he predicted that within six months a fee to request information would be imposed, possibly to control the flow of requests for information."

Scotsman - Trams £16.5m down the line
"MORE than £16.5 million of taxpayers' money will be spent on Edinburgh's trams before the scheme gets the final go-ahead.....Full details of TIE's spending since it was set up three years ago have been revealed to the Evening News following a request under the Freedom of Information Act."

Barking and Dagenham Post - Council's best-paid workers revealed
"SEVEN top-ranking council officers are earning more than £100,000 a year, the POST can reveal.The figures show that Chief Executive Rob Whiteman earns £153,015, higher than the average for chief executives in London."

European Civil Liberties Network - Launch
"The ECLN was launched on 19 October 2005 to provide a platform for groups working on civil liberties issues accross Europe. Participating organisations share the common objective of seeking to create a European society based on freedom and diversity, a society of fundamental civil liberties and personal and political freedoms, of free movement and freedom of information, and equal rights for all in Europe."