Gifts from the Oil men
Jul 9, 2007 Companies, Environment
I am very lucky to have some very good researchers working for me on a corruption monitoring project that is being sponsored by the Open Society Institute’s Justice Initiative. One of the areas we are investigating is the oil extractive industry and City University student Elena Egawhary is doing an excellent job researching the anti-corruption [...]
Indebtedness and bankruptcy
Nov 10, 2006 Companies, Freedom of Information, Useful sites
Tomorrow will likely see news stories about the continuing rise of people in debt. If you are curious about where these stories come from, the source is raw data published today by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The quarterly statistcs show the number of companies winding up and bankruptcy petitions. The link above also provides [...]
Trading standards and the Enterprise Act
May 26, 2006 Companies
Several people have told me their requests for information are being blocked by Part 9 of the Enterprise Act 2002. This section of the act restricts disclosure of information about individuals and businesses. Councils are citing the law in their refusals to give the public information about rogue traders, fraudulent business and even restaurant inspections. [...]
Oil Fire: Health & Safety reports
Dec 13, 2005 Companies, Environment
Today’s article in the Daily Telegraph ‘Firemen battle on amid blast fears’ contained an interesting point:
“It emerged that the Health and Safety Executive had served an
improvement notice on one of the operators of the Buncefield oil depot, near Hemel Hempstead, four years ago amid concerns about the containment of an aviation fuel tank.”
This raises [...]
New contact details: UK Trade & Investment
Jul 28, 2005 Book Updates, Companies
The point of contact for UK Trade & Investment’s Publication Scheme is now:
Caroline Llewellyn
UK Trade & Investment Open Government Team
Bay 155, Kingsgate House
66-74 Victoria Street
London SW1E 6SW
020 7215 2427
caroline.llewellyn@uktradeinvest.gov.uk
UK Trade & Investment is the Government organisation that supports companies in the UK doing business internationally and overseas enterprises seeking to locate in the UK.
There [...]
Free PFI database
Jul 20, 2005 Companies, Useful sites
How much money is your local authority spending on Private Finance Initiative projects? A new database created by Partnerships UK is one of the best resources for PFI facts and figures. It brings together data on all 633 PFI and public-private partnership contracts signed in the UK.
The database is free to use and is [...]
Housing Associations
Jan 19, 2005 Central Government, Companies, Local Government, Useful sites
A few people have asked me if housing associations and registered social landlords (RSLs) are coverd by the Freedom of Information Act. The answer is no, these are not yet classed as public authorities, though they are prime candidates for designation by the Lord Chancellor.
You can, however, get information from The Housing Corporation, [...]
Firms using FOI to probe private equity funds
Jan 17, 2005 Companies, FOI in the news
The Financial Times reports that private firms are beginning to use the Freedom of Information Act to open up the secretive world of UK private equity, duplicating the way disclosure laws are used in the United States.
Throwing open a secretive world
By Henry Tricks
Published: January 16 2005 21:59
…The request by London-based Private Equity Intelligence, a [...]
Health & Safety Exec – new FOI site
Jan 11, 2005 Companies, Environment, Health, Useful sites
The Health & Safety Executive has created a microsite for freedom of information. This is where you’ll find the HSE Publication scheme, details on how to make access requests to the HSE, and other proactively published new information.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/index.htm
FOI package in Times law section
Jan 11, 2005 Access Laws, Companies, FOI in the news, Justice & Courts
Today’s Times law section has a number of FOI-related articles.
Is this new freedom an empty gesture?
New openness regime will keep many lawyers in work
Long-held business secrets are most at risk
This piece discusses the impact of FOIA on companies. I do take issue with this statement: So rather than being a sign of a mature democracy [...]
