@ Eric Pickles
Communities and Local Govt Secretary
In the plans for the Big Society there's a lot of talk about how the public sector will shrink and the community sector will grow, as community groups, charities and other volunteer-led organisations ... Show more »In the plans for the Big Society there's a lot of talk about how the public sector will shrink and the community sector will grow, as community groups, charities and other volunteer-led organisations take on services that were once solely the preserve of public authorities. Unfortunately, these organisations are not always as transparent in their operations as the public sector, since they're not subject to the Freedom of Information Act. How will government ensure that citizens are still able to scrutinise the services they rely on when they're no longer carried out by bodies that are directly accountable to them - and would you consider extending the reach of FOI to cover organisations providing public services? Show less »