Has constitutional reform been effective in the UK

Question 1

what further constitutional changes might people be asking for in the UK

Answer 1

• Voting age to 16
• Prisoner votes
• Voting systems
• Voter ID
• House of Lords reform
• Direct vs Indirect democracy
• European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR)

Question 2

give an example of constitutional reform

Answer 2

The Freedom of Information Act 2000

Question 3

key features of The Freedom of Information Act 2000

Answer 3

• Applies to most public bodies i.e. local councils, police forces, BBC, universities and the central government
• They are obliged to publish and make freely available certain information about their activities
• Members of the public are able to make requests for information and data

Question 4

evidence of success of The Freedom of Information Act 2000

Answer 4

• Made the government more transparent
• In July to September 2020 11,042 requests were received – a total of 84% were responded to in time

Question 5

evidence of failure of The Freedom of Information Act 2000

Answer 5

• Requests can be denied, for example if it’s a national security concern, commercial confidentiality, or if the information is too expensive to obtain
• From July to September 2020 only 40% of requests were answered in full