51U.K.Paragraphs 52 to 55 make provision about the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the 2000 Act”).
52(1)This paragraph applies where a request for information was made to a public authority under the 2000 Act before the relevant time.U.K.
(2)To the extent that the request is dealt with after the relevant time, the amendments of sections 2 and 40 of the 2000 Act in Schedule 19 to this Act have effect for the purposes of determining whether the authority deals with the request in accordance with Part 1 of the 2000 Act.
(3)To the extent that the request was dealt with before the relevant time—
(a)the amendments of sections 2 and 40 of the 2000 Act in Schedule 19 to this Act do not have effect for the purposes of determining whether the authority dealt with the request in accordance with Part 1 of the 2000 Act, but
(b)the powers of the Commissioner and the Tribunal, on an application or appeal under the 2000 Act, do not include power to require the authority to take steps which it would not be required to take in order to comply with Part 1 of the 2000 Act as amended by Schedule 19 to this Act.
(4)In this paragraph—
“public authority” has the same meaning as in the 2000 Act;
“the relevant time” means the time when the amendments of sections 2 and 40 of the 2000 Act in Schedule 19 to this Act come into force.
53(1)Tribunal Procedure Rules made under paragraph 7(1)(b) of Schedule 6 to the 1998 Act (appeal rights under the 2000 Act) and in force immediately before the relevant time have effect after that time as if they were also made under section 61 of the 2000 Act (as inserted by Schedule 19 to this Act).U.K.
(2)In this paragraph, “the relevant time” means the time when the repeal of paragraph 7(1)(b) of Schedule 6 to the 1998 Act comes into force.
54(1)The repeal of paragraph 8 of Schedule 6 to the 1998 Act (obstruction etc in proceedings before the Tribunal) does not affect the application of that paragraph after the relevant time in relation to an act or omission before that time in relation to an appeal under the 2000 Act.U.K.
(2)In this paragraph, “the relevant time” means the time when the repeal of paragraph 8 of Schedule 6 to the 1998 Act comes into force.
55(1)The amendment of section 77 of the 2000 Act in Schedule 19 to this Act (offence of altering etc record with intent to prevent disclosure: omission of reference to section 7 of the 1998 Act) does not affect the application of that section after the relevant time in relation to a case in which—U.K.
(a)the request for information mentioned in section 77(1) of the 2000 Act was made before the relevant time, and
(b)when the request was made, section 77(1)(b) of the 2000 Act was satisfied by virtue of section 7 of the 1998 Act.
(2)In this paragraph, “the relevant time” means the time when the repeal of section 7 of the 1998 Act comes into force.