Media update

IC Wales - Fury at Rhodri's legal millions
"Rhodri Morgan's Assembly Government racked up a bill of £660,000 on legal advice about a single contract as part of millions spent on lawyers, it was revealed yesterday....The size of the bill has emerged following a Freedom of Information Act request by the Western Mail in which we sought details of money spent by the Assembly Government (WAG) on external legal advice."

Independent - How the army recruits: Your country needs YOU!
"The Army has not had a good week. Plaid Cymru has accused it of targeting schools in poorer areas in the wake of the war in Iraq. The party claimed that figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showed that most deprived schools were visited about 50 per cent more often than the less deprived. Assembly member Leanne Wood went as far as calling for the Welsh Assembly to ban Army recruitment initiatives from schools."

Telegraph - BBC news women get paid less
"Female correspondents who work on the One, Six and Ten O'Clock News broadcasts earn on average £59,050, compared with £65,625 paid to their male counterparts, the figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act, showed."

Independent - Freedom of Information: Top secrets for public inspection
"Introduced two years ago, the Freedom of Information Act has forced the British Government to give up its darkest secrets and present many of its most sensitive documents for public inspection. Robert Verhaik opens the files."

GMB Press release - GMB Calls On Councils To Curb Annual £1,546 Million Spent On Agency And Temporary Staff
"Brian Strutton, GMB National Secretary for Public Services said, "This GMB study uses the data provided by each council under the Freedom of Information Act. It shows that 434 councils in the UK spent over a £1,546 million on agency and temporary staff in a single year. Several very large councils did not respond. Separate sources put the total figure at £2,200 million."

Telegraph - Knife amnesties fail to reduce violent crime
"But today's report, obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act, said "no changing trends" had been visible during the first five weeks of the operation from May 15."

Guardian - Citizens' democracy is having an impact

The Press (York) - Huge haul of stereos taken by noise squad
"Using the Freedom of Information Act, The Press obtained details of all noise complaints in York over the past two years, and showed that the problem had doubled over the past 12 months."