The head of the UK Environment Agency has acknowledged that freedom of information (FOI) requests have been intentionally withheld by the regulator due to concerns about revealing the “embarrassing” truth about England’s environmental state. Philip Duffy, the Environment Agency’s chief executive, made this admission at the UK River Summit in Morden, south London.
Duffy explained that officials within the agency were apprehensive about disclosing the actual condition of the environment. “They do it because they are frightened. They are worried about revealing the true state of what’s going on,” he stated, noting the potential backlash from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the public, and possibly the government.
The withheld information includes data on pollution, the state of England’s waterways, and records of meetings between agency officials and water company CEOs. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which enforces the Freedom of Information Act, has reminded the Environment Agency that the public has a legal right to access this information and that transparency is crucial.
An ICO spokesperson emphasized the importance of transparency, saying, “People have the legal right to promptly receive information they’re entitled to, and we take action when they don’t.” They also highlighted the benefits of transparency, such as scrutiny and subsequent improvement of processes.
Duffy noted that the staff faced challenges in responding to FOI requests, especially from expert NGOs. He suggested that the tone of these inquiries often made it harder for the agency’s staff to respond appropriately. “I think the first step there is to understand how hard that is for many of my staff, when they’re faced with often very expert NGOs who are asking very good questions – the right questions ultimately – but [it’s about] how they lower that tone a bit, and manage it,” he said.
The FOI Act mandates that all requests should be treated equally, regardless of whether they come from the public, NGOs, or journalists. Last year, the ICO issued an enforcement notice to the Environment Agency due to concerns about its compliance with FOI obligations.
In response to Duffy’s comments, an Environment Agency spokesperson stated, “Philip is completely committed to the highest standards of transparency, as he repeatedly stressed at the River Summit. He wants to make more EA data readily available, and we are already looking at how this can be achieved.” They clarified that Duffy was referring to the concern among staff due to the often unconstructive tone of the current debate, and assured that this does not affect the process of releasing information.
