Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) gives the right to request information held by public authorities, companies wholly owned by public authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and non-devolved public bodies in Scotland.

What is the purpose of the Freedom of Information Act?
The Freedom of Information Act is intended to give the public greater access to information about the workings of public authorities. This will mean increased transparency and accountability, which will raise the quality of public administration.

What does the Freedom of Information Act do?
The Freedom of Information Act gives the public a general right of access to all types of “recorded” information held by public authorities from 1 January 2005, subject to certain exemptions. Public authorities also have to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme.

What is the Publication Scheme?
The Freedom of Information Act places a duty on public authorities to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme. The Publication Scheme must set out the types of information we intend to publish on an ongoing basis, the form in which the information is published and details of any charges.