The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) gives the public the right of access to information held by public authorities and requires public authorities to make this information available. The intention of the Act is to increase visibility into the work of public bodies, to ensure that policymaking processes are fair, democratic and open. You can find out more about the FOIA at the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) website.
The FOI Act requires all public authorities to produce a Publication Scheme that specifies the classes of information which the public authority publishes or intends to publish. To comply with the FOIA, the Publication Scheme sets out:
In May 2008 the ICO issued guidance on new model publication schemes, which public authorities have been encouraged to adopt from 1 January 2009. The Commission has adopted the relevant model scheme.
The classes of information defined in the new guidance are:
If you cannot find the information you are searching for or wish to make a FOI request, contact foi@equalityhumanrights.com