British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Scholarship and the
Freedom of Information Act: Year One
The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1
Saturday, 11 February 2006
9.00am - 4.30pm
A joint British Academy and National Archives one day seminar
convened by Professor Peter Hennessy FBA
Conference Fee £20 (£10 concessions)
ABOUT THIS EVENT | PROGRAMME
The Freedom of Information Act will have been operational for a full year in January 2006. One of the most important groups of potential beneficiaries of the statute are historians, social scientists and lawyers. The bulk of the press attention so far has, understandably, been around information releases that have a direct, even immediate, impact on current political debate. But the long term significance of the reform could well be the cumulative benefits that accrue for scholars of British governing processes.
The seminar is intended to pull together information on how matters have developed in year one and to ponder possible beneficial development in the future.
Speakers include The Rt Hon Lord Falconer QC, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, Natalie Ceeney, Chief Executive and Keeper of the Public Records, National Archives, and Richard Thomas LLB, the Information Commissioner.
Brief summary of the workshop, by Peter Hennessy
Opening speech by Lord Falconer (Constitutional Affairs Secretary and Lord Chancellor) (on Dept of Constitutional Affairs website)
Points in conclusion
Notes on the main points of discussion and those issues on which general agreement was reached, compiled by Rosaleen Hughes (Queen Mary, University of London), Alban Webb (Queen Mary) and Stephen Twigge (National Archives).
Related material
Review of the 30-year rule
14 March 2008: the British Academy's response to a consultation conducted by the independent review of the 30-year rule.