Results 1-14 of 14 for "freedom of information" speaker:Don Foster

[Mr. David Wilshire in the Chair] — Online Gambling (18 Mar 2009)

Don Foster: Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is extremely bizarre that the Government are refusing even a freedom of information request for the names of those websites, so that people can be warned?

Written Answers — Olympics: Olympic Delivery Authority: Disclosure of Information (21 Apr 2008)

Don Foster: ...providing access for the public to its (a) register of interests and (b) register of gifts and hospitality; how she monitors the ODA's procedures for complying with (i) that guidance and (ii) the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in publishing such information; and if she will make a statement.

London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Bill: Schedule 4 — London Olympics Association Right (21 Mar 2006)

Don Foster: ...my noble Friend. I am sure that the amendments will be accepted today, but I hope that the Minister will give thought on another occasion to the outstanding question of LOCOG's status in respect of freedom of information legislation. He will be aware that LOCOG is exempt from such legislation because it is a private body. I accept entirely that confidential business matters need to be...

Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (8 May 2003)

Mr Don Foster: ...that on the record. Bearing in mind that others want to speak, I want to raise two final points. Several hon. Gentlemen have touched on one of them, but the other one—the recommendation on freedom of information—has hardly been touched on at all. The Select Committee's recommendation is very clear. The Government's response to it, however, was rather churlish. It implied that...

Orders of the Day — Local Government (23 Jan 2001)

Mr Don Foster: ...rather more quickly. During the passage of the Local Government Bill, Liberal Democrats here and in another place made it clear that we were worried about early versions of the Bill in respect of freedom of information. The hon. Member for Eastbourne rightly pointed out that the Conservative Members worked hard to persuade the Government to change their mind on the issue, but Liberal...

Orders of the Day — Local Government (23 Jan 2001)

Mr Don Foster: ...assurances later. Unlike the hon. Member for Eastbourne, we do not advocate a return to the status quo. There can be no doubt whatever that, in certain respects, the Government's proposals for freedom of information are a move forward that should be welcomed. It is acknowledged that the regulations require executives to meet in public when they discuss key discussions, and they relate...

Orders of the Day — Local Government (23 Jan 2001)

Mr Don Foster: .... 272–302.] At one point, the Minister was prepared to acknowledge that any paper that could be used in assisting an executive to come to a key decision would be made public. The Campaign for Freedom of Information, which has also studied the regulations and the guidance in considerable detail, is not convinced on this matter. However, if the Minister is convinced that all is well,...

Orders of the Day — Local Government Bill [Lords]: Access to Information; Background Papers (4 Jul 2000)

Mr Don Foster: ...be placed in the guidance. In a moment, I hope that she will confirm that she intends to ensure that the change of definition appears in the actual regulations. For the many people who care about freedom of information and openness in government, a long and weary road has been travelled. Both sides of the House can claim credit for the progress that has been made. They share that credit...

Orders of the Day — Local Government Bill [Lords]: Access to Information; Background Papers (4 Jul 2000)

Mr Don Foster: ...would mean that members of the press and the public did not have the opportunity to listen to the arguments for and against that decision. It is certainly my belief, and that of the Campaign for Freedom of Information and the other organisations to which I have referred, that that needs to be changed, so that there is a clear statement of what is meant.

Orders of the Day — Local Government Bill [Lords] (11 Apr 2000)

Mr Don Foster: I am delighted to follow the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Fisher), who has made a valuable contribution to our deliberations in the past few weeks, not least in his valiant efforts on freedom of information. I am pleased that he continued that theme in his speech on this Bill. I agree with every word that he uttered. We are in a unique and, I suspect, somewhat bizarre...

Orders of the Day — Environment, Transport and the Countryside (18 Nov 1999)

Mr Don Foster: ...of his constituents, whom he will undoubtedly represent with great energy. The hon. Gentleman must have had a somewhat nail-biting end to his election campaign. As we have been talking about freedom of information legislation, I suppose that it is only right to place on the record the fact that he mentioned the relatively few votes that the Hamilton Accies gained in the election. Sadly,...

Orders of the Day — Right to Know Bill: Presumption in Favour of Access (2 Jul 1993)

Mr Don Foster: My party shares the hon. Gentleman's sadness that the Bill will clearly not make further progress. On Second Reading, I said that freedom of information should be at the heart of a modern democracy, that freedom of information should exist as of right, and that freedom of information should be the norm and secrecy the exception. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that those are the three key...

Orders of the Day — Right to Know Bill (19 Feb 1993)

Mr Don Foster: I am delighted to be called to speak in this important debate on a Bill which, I assure the House, has my full support. Like many other hon. Members, I believe that freedom of information is at the heart of a modern democracy. I congratulate the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Fisher) on getting his Bill to this stage. I hope that it will not suffer the same fate as so many...

Orders of the Day — Right to Know Bill (19 Feb 1993)

Mr Don Foster: I am grateful for my hon. Friend's intervention. It is an important point and highlights another matter of interest, which is that Greece has freedom of information legislation under which such information becomes available. It is tempting to reflect that many of the Government's difficulties in relation to Matrix Churchill, the miners' debacle or, more recently, the problems with the social...