Now, Ask Nicely?

The UK's Freedom of Information Act is supposed to give individuals and organisations access to government-held data. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is tasked with ensuring the public have their requests answered in a timely manner. Organisations are supposed to be 'transparent'. That's not currently the case with the UK's Environment Agency (EA). The EA is tasked with protecting the environment. The EA's officials sometimes 'bury' information requests, because they are "worried about revealing the true state of what is going on" (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/24/uks-environment-agency-chief-admits-regulator-buries-freedom-of-information-requests). This was confirmed, at a recent meeting of the UK River Summit by the EA chief. It's evident that the UK's rivers are in a parlous state. This is, as a consequence of pollution from agriculture, industry and privatised Water Companies. The chief suggested that Freedom of Information requests from NGOs and individuals might get better responses, if they lowered 'tone' of their requests. In one sense, the reticence of Environment Agency staff to Freedom of Information requests is understandable. The UK Government fund them and aren't keen to confirm that Environment Agency funding and powers are currently inadequate to protect our rivers. They can (and do) 'punish', by further reducing funding. There is, however, little point to an organisation tasked with protecting the environment, if it won't provide data to confirm what's evident to NGO's and concerned individuals. The ICO is warning the Environment Agency of its responsibilities. They should, perhaps, also remind the polluters and the government of theirs! It becomes difficult to ask nicely, when it's clear that officials want to hide the truth from you.