RESIDENTS could soon have the right to find out more about the workings of Newlyn Pier and Harbour Commission.
The authority running the port and its fish market may soon be subject to the Freedom of Information Act, a ruling which applies to most public authorities ordering them to answer all reasonable requests for details to be disclosed.
The commission saw the appointment of a new board in June last year, and since then they have pledged to make all its operations as transparent as possible. It is already the only trust port in the UK to allow members of the public to speak at and attend its open monthly meetings.
The Ministry of Justice is now seeking the commissioners' views on whether the act should apply to harbour authorities.
If it is included, answering questions from the public and the media could be a costly task for the commission – recent estimates put the cost of responding to an FoI request at £150.
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