Chris Cooke

Further to Tim Ridgway's article on the Freedom of Information Act (Argus, Jan 10th) I am concerned about the lack of transparency endemic within the current administration of this City.
 
There's a touch of farce too in that when asked quite simple questions on how they had performed under the FIA since it was introduced in 2005, Brighton and Hove council provided no answers to 4 out of the 5 questions asked (compare that to the openness of Sussex police, who provided answers to all 5 of the questions asked).
 
Perhaps we now have to ask for a fuller response using the FIA to question why the Council cannot supply answers regarding the FIA?
 
Yes, it's enough to make you laugh if it wasn't for the fact that this is a serious problem.
 
But why all the secrecy in the first place? This is an administration that purports to be fully accountable, yet the evidence to support this is woefully lacking.
 
Only last month Councillor Paul Elgood had to chase "missing" data relating to diversity monitoring only for it to reappear suddenly and without explanation.  It was of no surprise then to  learn that the data revealed under performance by the authority on a key ethnic minority target.
 
Rather than suppressing "bad news", losing data and making people resort to using the FIA to extract answers, it's about time a new era of openness was introduced as we enter the New Year.  It's much needed and long overdue.
 
Chris Cooke
Labour Party Candidate for Queen's Park
Montague Street