When the ICO’s annual report was published a few weeks ago, I noted the proliferation of flights taken by ICO staff (which have more than tripled from 2022/2023 to 2023/2024 (from 206 to 774)).
And now, I note a response by the ICO to a WhatDoTheyKnow FOI request asking for the number of (publicly funded) air miles the Information Commissioner himself has flown. The figure is pretty remarkable: 275,182 km, or 171,000 miles.
By my calculations that’s the equivalent of 75% of the way to the moon, or seven times round the world.
It is only fair to note that a large chunk of this consists of flights to the Commissioner’s home country, New Zealand. Anyone can be excused for wanting to visit home, and family.
But the ICO has an Environment Policy, which commits it to “minimising damaging environmental impacts which may arise from the conduct of our activity”, and the government which recommended his appointment to the Crown published its “Jet Zero” strategy only months after he had been appointed.
Did anyone at DCMS consider the environmental impact of appointing a Commissioner whose home is on the other side of the world? Is anyone at the ICO considering whether it is complying with its own Policy (and maybe just general environmental ethics) when racking up the numbers of flights?
The views in this post (and indeed most posts on this blog) are my personal ones, and do not represent the views of any organisation I am involved with.
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