Local government legal departments are being swamped by requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 after it came into force last week, with some heads of legal finding themselves the specific target of requests for information, it emerged this week.

Solicitors in local authorities expressed concern that there has been no extra funding from central government to enable them to comply with the new obligations, which will mean a significant increase in workload for legal departments.


Mirza Ahmad, head of legal at Birmingham City Council, said he had already received up to 40 information requests from the public and press in the first few days of the new provisions, with some letters containing multiple requests. The inquiries even related to his own claims for subsistence during the year and meetings he had attended with private organisations, as well as to particular disagreements with the authority and the recruitment of the chief executive.


Hall: huge task for lawyers

Mr Ahmad said: 'People are aware of the Act and are using it - we have one solicitor who is working flat out on these requests, as well as a new freedom of information team. There have been no extra resources from central government.'

Public authorities have 20 working days to respond to information requests under the Act - which could relate to events that took place decades ago - but will not have to respond to individual requests that will cost more than £450 to answer.


Mike Rowan, head of legal at Stroud District Council, said: 'We have already received one request for information dating back to the 1980s... If there are dozens of hits from different people it could amount to tremendous expenditure that councils will not be able to recoup.'


He added: 'There is a danger that the Act will be abused by anyone with a gripe or grudge against the council wanting to give us the runaround.'


Dennis Hall, solicitor and monitoring officer at Sedgefield Borough Council and former chairman of the Solicitors in Local Government Group, added: 'Compliance with the Act will be a huge task for legal departments... There will be a lot of additional responsibility and work for lawyers, for which the government is not providing any additional help.'