Abstract
Increasing government accountability was the second of the two ‘overarching’ FOI objectives. However, FOI is not a direct accountability mechanism in and of itself. It is a potential tool which provides information that can be used by accountability mechanisms (see Chapter 2). This chapter and Chapter 10 draw on Philp’s definition of accountability to ask whether and how FOI brings about accountability, who is holding whom accountable for what and where (Philp 2009: 28). The whom and where will be dealt with in Chapter 10, as they relate to ministerial accountability.
It depends if politicians or pressure groups pick up on [information released]. It’s a question of how people react. (Interview 83)
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© 2010 Robert Hazell, Ben Worthy and Mark Glover
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Hazell, R., Worthy, B., Glover, M. (2010). Has Freedom of Information Increased Government Accountability?. In: The Impact of the Freedom of Information Act on Central Government in the UK. Understanding Governance Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230281998_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230281998_8
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-32124-7
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-28199-8
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