Four councils are being monitored by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for being too slow to respond to freedom of information requests.

The London Borough of Lambeth, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Warwick District Council and Wigan Council are all being monitored following a ‘significant’ number of complaints to the ICO over the timeliness of their FOI reposnses.

ICO deputy commissioner, Graham Smith, said: ‘The four councils we have named today should see their inclusion on the latest monitoring list as a clear signal that they need to improve their practices.

Responding to FOI requests within the permitted timeframe is one of the cornerstones of ensuring transparent local governance. We will be happy to work with the councils in their efforts to turn their performances around.’

The ICO also announced that Hackney Council has been removed from formal monitoring after making improvements.