@natejones.bsky.social & team found “jaw-dropping admissions” from federal agencies about how the FOIA process has broken down across the US government, after cuts to FOIA staff, confirming the dire concerns of folks like me raised in 2025. Gift link: www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

#FOI Friday is back after a bit of a break. Aiming for staying power more like an FOI disclosure row involving the Scottish Gov't (and less like an Australian FOI shake-up bid).

Do you need to send an #FOI to get the information you need? Not always - sometimes similar information is already available. 7 datasets you can write about now: 

Feel like public bodies keep ghosting you? If you want that #FOI request answered, you might need to complain to the ICO about it! In better news, these requests did get a response:

Labour council accuses minister of ‘moral bankruptcy’ over children’s social care dispute www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Gorton and Denton by-election result Grn 40.7% (+27 vs 2024) Ref 28.7% (+15) Lab 25.4% (-25) Con 1.9% (-6) LD 1.8% (-2) Labour's 38th safest seat in 2024

Let’s talk Environmental Information Regulation requests They’re like #FOI requests, as they function in a similar way but more specific in what they cover (and potentially cover more organisations)

Following on from some depressingly regular complaining about the Freedom of Information Act from public bodies, a reminder of the importance of #FOI.

Yes! Britain leads the world in precipitous decline! #skeleton

Nobody fights a three-year FOI battle for the clicks. 

You know how the Scottish Information Commissioner told public bodies not to take Freedom of Information Act court action they are likely to lose...

FOI is important. Obviously, that’s my view but it’s shared by the people of Scotland, according to a survey. Some important stories:

For the first time the Scottish Info Commissioner @foi.scot has launched legal action against a public authority - the Scottish Government - for failing to comply with an FOI decision. www.foi.scot/statement-sc...

FOI is great! Even if Redcar and Cleveland Council doesn't agree.

Guessing someone will pop in an FOI for the full report…

Creative ways to use #FOI: Get really specific - looking at crime on high streets through one chain. Or a jumping off point for an in-depth feature looking at items recovered from shipwrecks.

"if i leave the nazi sexual abuse app - the predators win" win what? a nazi sexual abuse app?

"We can excuse free child pornography, but we draw the line at charging for it" is both the most this government way to handle this, and absolutely barking.

#FOI proving useful in the quiet post-Xmas news week We've got potholes, speeding, danger dogs, & food hygiene reports that'll put you off your 'run out of cheese/can't be bothered to cook' takeaway:

Freedom of Information is a New Year staple. Partly because it’s pretty handy for stories during the quieter period while […] The post Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 2/1/2026 – #FOIFriday first appeare...

Turning the insights you get from datasets into something you can share with other people – and have them understand what you’re on about is a challenge. And a skill that is becoming increasingly vital...

Big local event happening (even bigger than a Christmas lights switch-on)? More Tour de France Grand Depart. Worth using #FOI to ask how much it's going to cost:

Fixing hospital building in Scotland will cost £1.5bn, according to #FOI:

Today is your last chance to send Christmas post.  But it helps if your local postbox hasn't been nicked.  #FOI shows more than 50 stolen in five years in Norfolk:

For everyone’s sake, I won’t be sending a press release every time I send an #FOI request.  Though someone apparently thought theirs warranted one:

Last Sunday, around 1 in 7 hospital beds in England was occupied be someone well enough to leave But how many bed days are lost to delayed discharges (a question it shouldn't take FOI to find out):

How complained about are your councillors and is it on the rise? Leicestershire Council seems to have had a flurry in the first six months under Reform:

the two genders: melee and ranged

The government says it's not planning to extend FOI to cover Electoral Returning Officers. However, the forthcoming elections legislation will be a good opportunity to raise this issue further and for someone to propose an amendment to change this.

Potentially one in nine Band 5 nursing posts are vacant at Belfast Health & Social Care Trust and an average of 233 shifts need covering each day. #FOI reveals how much it's costing to cover them:

There are no aliens on the tube, #FOI has helpfully confirmed. This isn't encouragement to send stupid requests, but an up-to-date disclosure log is a great resource for stories and ideas:

Winter pressures usually put the NHS in the news this time of year.  Combine that with using #FOI to find stories ahead of the holiday period and there's quite a few health stories this week:

Getting an answer – any answer – to your #FOI request isn’t always easy. And it might be getting harder...

Maybe don't annoy your colleagues so much they send an #FOI about you? Constituents of a Reform councillor complained he wasn't responding, turns out he's only sent 2 emails since being elected:

The ICO has issued an enforcement notice against the FCDO because of its persistently "unacceptable" delays in processing FOI requests and its failure to improve properly, despite the ICO's previous more limited interventions. Good - the FCDO's track record on FOI is terrible.

Need a new spin on a parking tickets #FOI? How many drivers have been caught not charging their vehicle in an electric vehicle charging bay?

Another week, another data breach in an #FOI release. Despite the depressing regularity with which this happens, I'm not sure we're going to learn how to avoid it just yet...

so great that Labour's adult care policy amounts to a Louise Casey report and an unspecified pay rise in about 2028 www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Retained fire stations rely on on-call staff to attend incidents.  Not enough staff available and they don't go. Something that happened 93% of the time at one station according to #FOI:

As #FOI suggests they make up 4 in 5 offenders, are men more likely to drive without insurance? Or are they just more likely to get caught doing it?

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council don't want you to know this*... https://clairemiller.net/2025/12/freedom-of-information-in-the-news-week-ending-12-12-2025-foifriday/ *it's email addresses you can send #FOI requests to

Some people will do anything to avoid having to deal with emails.  Including not having an email address. But from those who tracked down the #FOI email, this week's round-up of stories:

How not to handle an #FOI request…

How not to handle an #FOI request…

I wanted dinner recommendations so I scraped 13,000+ London restaurants and accidentally discovered Google Maps is running a shadow economy. Anyway here's a dashboard and a political economy thesis: open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...

So how much does Bridgwater's annual 'snowflakes and shopping' event cost to put on (and festoon in Christmas lights)?

When something changes (like councils reducing or ending free parking provision), it's often worth an #FOI to find out what impact it's had:

Government has now - belatedly -published the impact assessment for the changes to skilled worker and care worker visas announced in May. Impact is estimated between -£2 billion and £-10 billion (central - £10 billion). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6937e6...

Want to reduce your #FOI burden? Have you tried just publishing the information? Moray Council has a new system for councillor expenses they think is a timesaver: