A Freedom of Information win after a five year battle this week.
More than 30 senior Tories are among those named as recommenders in newly released records of companies referred to the government’s controversial Covid PPE ‘VIP lane’ back in 2020.
The fight for the records started in February 2021, when now Democracy for Sale reporter Jenna Corderoy made an FOI request for the names of every company referred to the so-called ‘VIP lane’ and those who had recommended them.
After the government resisted disclosure, a tribunal ordered it to name the unsuccessful suppliers in February 2025 and rejected its argument that identifying their referrers would cost too much.
The Cabinet Office still withheld the referrers’ names until Democracy for Sale appealed to the Information Commissioner’s Office, who ruled last month that they should be disclosed. They were finally published on October 29.
Appeal against FOI conviction
The former chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Council found guilty of preventing information being released under the Freedom of Information Act has launched a legal bid to overturn her conviction.
Anne Donaghy, 56, of Clonmore Road in Dungannon, was convicted on two charges of deleting an email and procuring the deletion of an email to prevent disclosure in August. She was fined a total of £1,500 for the offences.
The case concerned an email from Donaghy to then first minister Arlene Foster in February 2021, forwarding a letter she had sent to the Cabinet Office around the administering of the post-Brexit treaty, the Northern Ireland Protocol at Larne Port and alleged threats to council workers in 2021.
Barrister Michael Chambers KC told the Court of Appeal on Tuesday (November 10) they are seeking to show that Donaghy had not had a fair trial. Other issues in the challenge to the conviction relate to the exact wording of the charge and how much Donaghy knew about the FoI request.
During the preliminary hearing Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan provisionally listed Donaghy’s appeal for a full hearing on February 18.
Just publish more information
Some Freedom of Information issues are just global.
Over in New Zealand, a report has estimated the cost of responding to Official Information Act (OIA) requests has grown by nearly 300 percent over the past decade, to more than $180 million. There had been a 394% growth in the number of requests across the same period, with police accounting for up to 47% of all requests received.
However, the spike came after a 2018/19 change in police reporting processes that included counting media enquiries as OIA requests (that’ll probably make a difference). There’s been other questions about how accurate the cost calculations are.
The report comes after the New Zealand Government asked officials in March to examine the costs associated with responding to OIA requests. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said he wanted to know whether the law could be made “more efficient and practical” (this is usually a precursor to making the law more restrictive and less usable).
Recommendations in the report and the Office of the Ombudsman in response include:
- Be more efficient by identifying low or no risk requests and reducing the levels of review and executive overview for those
- More proactive publication – identify possible information based on current events, seasonal demand patterns, and consultation with frequent requesters
- AI-powered chatbots could handle routine queries before they became formal requests
This week’s Freedom of Information stories…
Doctors under investigation
Patients put their trust in doctors when at their most vulnerable, but ITV News Meridian has found that doctors under investigation for serious and sexual misconduct have been allowed to secure jobs in the NHS in Kent and Sussex.
They have either been cautioned by police or are being checked by the regulator, the General Medical Council.
ITV Meridian carried out a freedom of information request which revealed 45 doctors between 2020 and 2025 continued to work in NHS hospitals without suspension or conditions on their practice, while being investigated for sexual misconduct – including rape , sexual assault and harassment.
A further 43 were subject to an interim orders tribunal which can impose a suspension or conditions.
Hiring disparities
Minority ethnic applicants to nursing, midwifery and healthcare assistant jobs across London are 3.7 times less likely to be hired than White applicants to the roles, a damning new report shared exclusively with Nursing Times has found.
The latest report is based on 2025 recruitment data gathered through Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to 18 acute NHS trusts in London.
The trusts were asked to provide data on ethnicity of applicants, of short-listed candidates and of those who received offers across five workforce categories.
The largest racial disparity was seen in recruitment for nursing posts at AfC band 5, where White applicants were 3.68 times as successful as minority ethnic applicants.
Misconduct hearings
In the past seven years, there have been over 370 PSNI misconduct hearings that have taken place for allegations which include animal cruelty, rape, death in custody, sexual harassment and gross indecency with a child.
Other misconduct allegations officers have faced since 2019 include drink driving, possession of indecent images of children, selling fraudulent TV subscriptions and watching porn while on duty.
A Freedom of Information request reveals the full list of allegations against officers that resulted in misconduct hearings. From 2019 to 2025, there were 378 misconduct hearings, of which 116 were for gross misconduct or special hearings.
Horses
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council have responded to the death of a horse in Gilford and rescue of two others last month.
A spokesperson said: “Council recognises the public’s concern surrounding this case and is saddened by the death of one horse.
“Two horses were taken into Council possession on October 26, 2026 and are receiving appropriate care whilst the investigative process continues. One horse was found deceased and arrangements were subsequently made for its removal on the first available date, October 27, 2026.”
Further to this, Armagh I also issued council with a Freedom of Information request (FOI), the response to which has now also been received. Between June 1 and the date of the horses’ removal from the site, council confirmed they received a total of 13 reports from members of the public.
Equestrian thefts
An investigation into thefts targeting equestrian facilities has revealed that more than nine in 10 cases closed without a suspect being identified.
Lincolnshire Police closed 204 of 223 investigations (91.5%) without identifying those responsible, according to data obtained by LincsOnline through a Freedom of Information request.
The data covers July 1, 2021 to July 12, 2026 and includes offences affecting equestrian yards, livery yards, stables and other rural premises.
Surrogacy
There has been a near doubling of the number of private law Parental Order applications as the popularity of surrogacy continues to rise according to a freedom of information request submitted by WSP Solicitors.
The Gloucestershire firm said there has been a 90% increase in the number of applications from 399 in 2016 to 758 between April 2025 and March 2026.
Social media spend
This one probably needed some breakdown on the topics of the adverts (as the government does quite a bit of reminding people about the existence of government services).
Labour are using public money to “push propaganda”, the SNP have alleged after files released under Freedom of Information laws showed that the UK Government spent almost £37 million on social media adverts last year.
Figures seen by The National show that the UK Government spent the most on Google adverts in 2025, handing just over £16m to the US tech giant. Meta – the company behind Instagram and Facebook – was a close second on £14.5m.
A further £5.5m was spent on YouTube adverts, and £723,000 on TikTok.
Council debt
A Senedd Member has criticised a county council, describing the authority’s £199m of debt as “deeply concerning” and questioning the quality of its leadership.
The data on Conwy County Council’s level of debt – which stands at around £198.8m – was contained in a Freedom of Information (FOI) response to an enquiry sent by the Senedd Member for Bangor Conwy Môn, Janet Finch-Saunders.
But the council says that, “like all councils in Wales, Conwy borrows to pay for long-term capital investment” and it is “not used to fund day-to-day services”.
Paternity leave
Islington is one of the few local authorities whose paternity leave allowance outstrips the statutory minimum, according to grassroots campaigners The Dad Shift. The group says that according to data obtained from 150 local councils in England and Wales under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, just 16 councils go beyond the statutory two weeks.
In London, Ealing Council’s entitlement has been eight weeks at full pay since September 2026. Meanwhile, Hounslow Council offers four weeks at full pay, with no qualifying period, to be taken at any time within a year of the child’s birth.
Shortchanged
Motorists could be getting less fuel than they pay for at petrol stations across the UK, with a major investigation uncovering dozens of cases of pumps dispensing less fuel than advertised.
An investigation by target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”The Telegraph has identified 98 separate occasions where petrol pumps were found to be delivering less fuel than motorists were paying for, including at forecourts operated by major brands such as Asda and Welcome Break.
The Telegraph obtained inspection records from local authority trading standards departments through Freedom of Information requests, uncovering multiple cases where fuel dispensers were operating outside the legally permitted tolerance.
Trades people complaints
A Freedom of Information request to Herefordshire Council asked how many complaints were made to it of home improvement tradespeople breaching consumer protection law in the two years up to June.
The council has now responded that it had received 438 such complaints across 50 trade categories – nearly one each working day.
The transgressing trades top five goes:
- Roofing, roof sealing and chimney repairs (73 complaints)
- Insulation (47)
- Major renovations, including lofts, conversions and extensions (38)
- Window frames and doors, excluding electric garage doors (31)
- Paving, driveways, patios and decking (27)
Smoking in taxis
Birmingham taxi passengers are still being subjected to second-hand smoke from drivers lighting up at the wheel.
A total of 28 fines have been dished out in the city over the problem so far in 2026 – the second-highest number in the country.
Freedom of Information data requests were sent to UK councils to understand how many licensed vehicles were being smoked in, causing harmful second hand smoke for passengers.
Rats!
Bradford has recorded more than 2,000 pest complaints in just three years.
All 2,259 complaints recorded between 2023 and 2025 related specifically to rat sightings and infestations, according to data obtained by Confused.com through a Freedom of Information request.
The figures come amid a broader rise in pest problems across the UK, with more than 700,000 complaints logged nationally during the same period.
Close passes
A police force has confirmed that a recent policy change means it will only investigate close passes in exceptional circumstances.
Following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by YouTuber Daniel Ward, also known as TriathlonDan, Derbyshire Constabulary confirmed it had updated its wording on its website on 28th May to say “As we follow national guidance regarding the analysis of video evidence for the measurement of speed and distance, we only act in these circumstances in exceptional cases.”
Yellow boxes
More than a million yellow box junction penalties have been issued by councils in England and Wales since 2023, research suggests.
Used car retailer cinch said 37 councils reported issuing 1,047,472 penalty charge notices between 2023 and 2026, with nearly £58 million in penalty payments also reported.
The company sent Freedom of Information requests to 217 authorities across the UK, but the penalty figures reported are not a total for every council or for the whole country.
Stolen electric vehicles
Electric car models from Toyota, Hyundai, BMW and Kia were found to be among the most stolen in the UK for the first half of 2026.
The data was analysed by temporary car insurance provider Tempcover based on a Freedom of Information request sent to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency).
The number of fully electric vehicles reported stolen rose sharply in the first half of 2026, climbing from 1,111 to 1,646 compared with the same period last year.
Stolen parcels
Reports of parcel theft to UK police rose 87 per cent to 12,802 in the year to 30 June 2026, according to Freedom of Information (FOI) data gathered by parcel locker provider Quadient for its 2026 Parcel Theft Report. The previous year’s total was 6,851.
It is the highest total recorded in Quadient’s annual report. Just 1.6 per cent of reported thefts led to a charge, about one in 62 cases, and fewer than one in 20 led to an arrest.
Artwork
A council in Surrey has disposed of more than 2,000 works of art since 2021.
Elmbridge Borough Council said it had disposed of 1,436 items from its collection in 2021-22 and a further 927 the following financial year. None have been disposed of since 2023-24.
The figures, from a Freedom of Information request by the BBC, showed 16,819 works remained in the council’s collection with only one on display as of April.
Going veggie
New analysis of Parliament’s own catering data finds that switching just 30% of the meat, fish and shellfish it buys to plant protein ingredients such as beans, lentils and tofu, could save over £1million over five years.
Humane World for Animals UK looked at the contents of Parliament’s shopping trolley, using purchase and sales records of both Houses obtained under Freedom of Information.
More than 92% of the protein-rich food bought on the parliamentary estate comes from animal sources. While chickens top the list of animals consumed by both Houses, the zoological shopping list runs to over 40 species, including pheasants, quails, lobsters, partridges, and snails.
Grand piano
A Carlisle councillor has called for a specialist assessment of a concert grand piano at the Sands Centre amid claims it has not been tuned for at least two years.
Liberal Democrat councillor Brian Wernham, who represents Stanwix Urban, is urging Cumberland Council to restore regular maintenance of the Steinway Model D concert grand owned by the venue.
The top-of-the-range concert instrument was bought when the Sands Centre was constructed and Cllr Wernham says a modern equivalent would cost more than £150,000.
Cllr Wernham raised concerns after a Freedom of Information request to Cumberland Council found the authority held no recent valuation or recorded specialist condition assessment for the piano.
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