Blog: Of open government and Shropshire Council

Blog: The times they are a changing, sang Bob Dylan.

They most certainly are when it comes to reporting what is happening at the Shirehall, writes Dave Morris.

I'm feeling annoyed and saddened, having been been told by a member of the Shropshire Council communications team that I need to submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request regarding questions I have posed over the authority's use of credit cards.

My annoyance stems from the fact that I have been reporting on Shirehall matters since 1996 and I can't recall having to go down the FOI route.

Colleagues have had to take this action on a number of occasions when dealing with public bodies.

But until now I always found that if I wanted particular information from the council I asked for it and - unless there was an understandable and genuine reason for refusing my request - I got it.

There is a lot of talk in local government and the NHS and so on, about the need to be open and transparent.

In many ways councils and others are being more open and they pump out huge volumes of information.

However they do appear to me to be more tightly controlled than in the past and there are fewer voices of dissent.

Reports under the old committee system of the former Shropshire County Council also contained far more worthwhile information, facts and figures than reports I often read through nowadays. And they related to more issues and subjects.

Performance reports presented to the county's main hospital trust also appear to me to lack the depth of a couple of years back.

Anyway, for what Shirehall info have I submitted the FOI request?

Well it's not exactly earth shattering and it's certainly not going to topple the current administration.

Councils around the country have come under fire for using credit cards "inappropriately".

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said last week that some councils had been enjoying the high life at tax payers expense.

All I asked Shropshire Council was whether officials used such cards on authority business.

If so how many cards have been issued, what was the value of services or accommodation bought with them, and was the council going to review their use.

I was told that the council didn't have the answers to hand and was advised to follow the FOI process.

The response is now eagerly awaited.