Freedom of Information - Advice
Background
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 confers two
statutory rights on applicants:
- To be told whether or not the public authority holds that
information; and if so,
- To have that information communicated to them.
The Act confers a general right of access to information held by
public bodies, subject to certain exemptions.
Authorities have a duty to advise and assist applicants seeking
information.
Requests for information must be responded to within 20 working
days.
Each public authority must adopt and maintain a
Publication Scheme which details what information is currently
available, in what format it is held and whether a fee applies to
its release.
What the Act means for Bath & North East Somerset
Council
Our approach to Freedom of Information is aligned with other
legislation and guidance relating to access to information, such as
the Data Protection Act and Environmental Information
Regulations.
We have published a
Freedom of Information Policy which outlines how we will handle
requests for information under the Act.
Enquiries, Feedback and Complaints
If you are unhappy with the Council’s response to your Freedom
of Information request you can contact the Information
Governance Team and an independent review will be carried
out.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this review you may
appeal to the Information Commissioner.
Further Information
Further information is available from the Information
Commissioner who is responsible for overseeing compliance with the
Act and also from the Department of Constitutional Affairs,
who provides guidance on the implementation of the Act.
Please see the links on the right hand side of the screen
for access to these organisations' websites.
