The National Union of Journalists has welcomed a recommendation by a committee of MPs not to bring in charges for Freedom of Information requests.

The Justice Select Committee has examined the effectiveness of the Freedom of Information Act and said payments should not have to be made to receive information from public authorities.

This has been welcomed by the NUJ, which gave evidence about the importance of the Act for journalists in being able to hold public bodies to account.

Investigative journalist David Hencke, who gave evidence to the committee on behalf of the union, said: “Journalists everywhere should be delighted that MPs have come down firmly against any charging for Freedom of Information requests, which would have had a chilling effect on the free flow of information and the media’s ability to dig out facts the authorities would like to keep quiet.”

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “The Freedom of Information Act has been a tool for the good in keeping public bodies and governments to account.

“As part of the democratic process, citizens need to be able to have access to data that can inform them on the decision making and spending of public bodies. In our evidence to the inquiry, we gave examples of how journalists have used the act to uncover vital information.”

She added that local papers had made good use of FoI requests to keep council spending in check.

Other recommendations of the committee include imposing higher fines for destruction of data and the requirement for public bodies to publish details on the timeliness of their response to FoI requests.

Sir Alan Beith MP, chair of the Justice Select Committee, said the the Act had been a success and the committee did not wish to diminish its scope.

He said: “Evidence we have seen suggests that reducing the cost of FOI can be achieved if the way public authorities deal with requests is well-thought through.

“Complaints about the cost of FoI will ring hollow when made by public authorities which have failed to invest the time and effort needed to create an efficient freedom of information scheme.”