Almost 90% of the 559 requests for data under the Code on Access to Information were met either in full or in part in the third quarter of this year.

The Home Affairs Bureau said only 12 requests (2.1%) were refused, while the remaining 53 were either withdrawn by applicants or were still being processed.

The total number of requests received since the introduction of the code in March 1995 is 14,351. Of these, 12,908 (89.9%) were met either in full or in part. Only 266 requests (1.9%) were refused, and the remaining 1,177 were referred to other organisations, withdrawn or were still being processed.

In the same period, the Ombudsman received three complaints relating to the code. Two were discontinued or withdrawn by the complainants and the other one was still under investigation.

The bureau said statistics showed that Government departments had been applying the code properly to the general satisfaction of the public.