Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act came fully into force on 1 January 2005. It means that all public authorities:
- must make as much information available as possible through their Publication Schemes
- must respond to requests for information within 20 working days.
Can I see everything?
Not always. We will try to give out as much as possible, but we do not have to respond to requests if:
- we don’t hold the information (for example, a lot of ‘council’ information may be held by your local borough or district council)
- the cost of providing the information is greater than the limit set by government
- the request is repeat or vexatious, or
- an exemption applies.
If we are not able to release information we will tell you why, and what you can do if you don’t agree with our decision.
Since 1993 we have voluntarily operated a policy of open access to information. The act provides a welcome opportunity to improve both the ways in which we inform the public, and how we manage the enormous amount of information we hold.
We want to conduct business in an open and honest way. You should be informed of how we make our decisions and the reasons for them, particularly when some people find them unwelcome.
For more details read our Freedom of Information policy.
