EDM 589: FOI and companies owned by two or more public authorities

An early day motion has been tabled in the House of Commons calling for companies that are wholly owned by two or more public authorities to be brought within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act. Currently, companies that are wholly owned by a single public authority are subject to the Act, but those owned by two or more authorities are not. The motion calls for this loophole to be closed. It also calls for companies to be covered if they are 90% or more publicly owned, as opposed to the current 100% threshold.

The motion has been tabled by Conservative MP Peter Bottomley with the help of John Cross, a volunteer for mysociety's FOI website whatdotheyknow.com.

That this House notes that section 6 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, with certain exceptions, makes companies wholly owned by the Crown or by a single public authority subject to the Act; further notes that a company wholly owned by two or more public authorities or 95 per cent. owned by a single public authority will be outside the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and calls for the closure of this loophole and for companies owned 90 per cent. or more by any number of public authorities to be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The motion is open for other MPs to sign. Please write to your MP and ask them to sign EDM 589 on Freedom of Information and companies owned by two or more public authorities. 22 MPs have already signed - check the list here.