A Conservative cabinet minister has signalled a crackdown on the “misuse” of freedom of information requests as a means of researching stories for journalists.

Chris Grayling, the leader of the House of Commons, said it was wrong that the Freedom of Information Act was being used as a “research tool” to “generate stories” for the media.

Before a review of FoI, which ministers believe is costing too much money, Grayling said it should be used for “those who want to understand why and how government is taking decisions”.

He made the comments in the Commons after being asked for an urgent debate to discuss the worries of the Birmingham Post and Birmingham Mail newspapers about the current threat to FoI.

Grayling said: “The irony is that the person who said that he regretted the Freedom of Information Act 2000 most was the former MP Jack Straw, who introduced it.

“He said that he looked back on it as one of the things that he had got wrong. This government are committed to the act, but we want to ensure that it works well and fairly, and cannot be abused or misused.

“It is, on occasion, misused by those who use it as, effectively, a research tool to generate stories for the media, and that is not acceptable. It is a legitimate and important tool for those who want to understand why and how governments make decisions, and this government does not intend to change that.”

His remarks were condemned by Tom Watson, the deputy leader of the Labour party, who believes the FoI Act should be strengthened, not undermined.

“Chris Grayling’s assertion that the Freedom of Information Act is ‘misused’ to generate stories for the media betrays a greater truth about this government’s thinking,” he said.

“What they’d really like to see is less open government. It is the job of journalists to hold the government to account on behalf of the public. The Freedom of Information Act is a vital tool in their armoury which should not and must not be removed or weakened.”

Asked whether he was saying journalists should not be using FoI as a research tool, a source close to Grayling said this was not what he meant but it was “important we look at ways FOI can be made to work better”.

The government has been considering introducing more charges and greater limits on the scope of FoI as part of its review.



David Cameron was asked about the comments after a summit in Reykjavik, where he had praised “data release, openness and transparency” as good for both civil liberties and for economic growth.



The prime minister said: “The British government is one of the most open and transparent anywhere in the world. In fact, some of the businesses that came to present here [in Iceland] from Britain exist because we opened up data from government. Not just saying ‘come and search for information through the FoI Act’, but actually opening up vast amounts of government data which has created a lot of businesses. And we’ll continue very much with that approach.”

Downing Street sources suggested the review would seek to stop third parties making money from FoI requests, rather than journalists seeking information for stories.

However, Grayling’s comments are likely to worry freedom of information campaigners and the media. The Guardian used the law to uncover stories such as the Prince of Wales’s “black spider memos”.

In July an FoI release by the human rights group Reprieve revealed that British pilots had carried out airstrikes in Syria, marking a significant expansion of the UK’s role in the campaign against Islamic State.



The Society of Editors’ executive director, Bob Satchwell, branded Grayling’s comments as ridiculous.

He said the FoI Act “was designed to inform the public and that is precisely what the media do. Politicians are usually quick to proclaim their belief in freedom of the press. It is very worrying that such a senior minister seems incapable of understanding the role of the media in a democratic society. He should look at the amazing range of scandals exposed by journalists using FoI.”

Maurice Frankel, the director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, said: “The FoI Act exists to help hold government to account, improve the public’s understanding of what it does, to show whether policies are working and identify where public services need to be improved.

“Journalists are key users of the act for those purposes and no one should be surprised if that involves producing stories. That’s how the public learns what is going on.”

