I think there is a valid point in this article. The OGC argue that the Commissioner doesn't understand or have expertise in what OGC does. I certainly think that some of the Information Commissioner's decisions about councils show little knowledge about how local government works and what councils do. I don't know enough about the academic environment to comment, but my suspicion is that the same is true for many sectors. Clearly, in deciding on FOI requests, the Commissioner has to be the guardian of the public interest, but it would be nice for them to at least try to understand what - for example - a council does, and how it works. This wouldn't necessarily mean that less information would be disclosed - it would work both ways. I suspect that some of the IC decisions to withhold information which were subsequently overturned by the Information Tribunal wouldn't have got that far if the Commissioner's office had a decent grasp of what councils do. Tim Turner Data Protection / FOI Officer Legal and Property Services Wigan Council -----Original Message----- From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Scourfield, Brenda Sent: Wed 10 January 2007 16:29 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [data-protection] ID Cards ID Cards.... again....... http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/01/09/221051/watchdog-attacked-i n-battle-over-id-cards.htm Brenda Scourfield Team Leader I.T. Division Pembrokeshire County Council County Hall Haverfordwest SA61 1 TP Tel 01437 775380 **************************************************************************** ********************************** This document should only be read by those persons to whom it is addressed, and be used by them for its intended purpose; and must not otherwise be reproduced, copied, disseminated, disclosed, modified, distributed, published or actioned. 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