Press Releases

     The Government received a total of 540 requests for information under the Code on Access to Information in the second quarter of 2009, a spokesman for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said today (September 4).
 
     The total number of requests received since the introduction of the Code in March 1995 and up to the end of June 2009 amounted to 27,191. Of these, 1,411 requests were subsequently withdrawn by the requestors, 1,030 requests covered cases in which the bureaux/departments concerned did not hold the requested information and 65 requests were still being processed by bureaux and departments.

     Among the 24,685 requests which covered information held by bureaux/departments and which the bureaux/departments had responded to, 24,118 requests (98%) were met, either in full (23,574 requests) or in part (544 requests). 567 requests (2%) were refused.

     Any member of the public who is dissatisfied with the response of a bureau/department under the Code may request the matter be reviewed. He/she may also lodge a complaint with The Ombudsman. 

     In the second quarter of 2009, The Ombudsman received four complaints relating to the Code. 
    
     The Ombudsman completed investigation in respect of two complaint cases in this quarter.  The two cases were settled by offering assistance and clarification to the complainants. As at June 30, 2009, The Ombudsman was still investigating seven complaint cases.

     "The statistics show that Government bureaux and departments have been complying with the Code to the general satisfaction of members of the public," the spokesman said.

Ends/Friday, September 4, 2009