FREEDOM OF INFORMATION PUBLICATION SCHEME

1. Introduction:

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 (the Act) came into force on 1 Janaury 2005 having received Royal Assent on 30 November 2000.  It establishes a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by a public authority, unless that falls under one of the specific exemptions in the Act.
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 Links to: www.foi.gov.uk

2. Your rights to access information:
On making a request for information the access rights of the Act entitle you to (subject to the exemptions):

• be informed in writing by the department, whether it holds the information specified in your request
• have that information communicated to you

The following will guide you through ways to request information, what to do if you are not satisfied with the way your request has been processed and general information about the Department's Publication Scheme.

3. Publication Scheme

4. Obtaining Information

5. Information Available

6. Exemptions

7. Feedback

8. Fees and Charges

9. Information Released