freedom of information

freedom of information act 2000

The Act received Royal Assent on 30 November 2000 but does not come fully into force until 1 January 2005. The Act gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, sets out some exemptions from that right and imposes a number of other obligations on public authorities.

publication scheme

Althought the act does not come fully into force until 1 January 2005, it places a duty on all public authorities to adopt and maintain a publication scheme which must be approved by the Information Commissioner. Approved publication schemes must be in place by 28 February 2003. Each public authority partner of the Cheltenham Partnership will implement their own publication schemes, and the Cheltenham Partnership will operate in accordance with these schemes.

The publication scheme must include:

• what information the public authority publishes or intends to publish as a matter of course;
• how and when the information will be published;
• whether the information is available free-of-charge or on payment of a fee

The purpose of the publication scheme is to ensure that a significant and growing amount of information is made available to citizens and organisations without the need for specific requests, and to encourage a culture of openness within public authorities.

Publication is not restricted to printed information. For the purposes of this scheme the Cheltenham Partnership has interpreted it to the include:

• Information on our website;
• Guidance notes and procedures;
• Electronic copies of information;
• Reports/minutes;

Each scheme, and the information contained therein, refers only to the public body for which it is intended.

rights of access to information

Individuals already have the right of access to themselves to information about themselves under the Data Protection Act 1998. The Freedom of Information Act extends your right to allow access to all types of recorded information held by the public authority, subject to certain exemptions.

From 1 January 2005 any citizen and/or organisation making a request to a public authority for information must be informed whether the public authority holds that information and, subject to exemptions, must be supplied with that information.

If the required information is not included within the publication scheme the public authority will have 20 working days to tell the requester whether the information is held and to produce a copy of it.

Further information about the right of access from 1 January 2005 will be made available at a later date.

Any reference in the scheme to documents in a public register or lists of businesses will only include personal information on individuals if it is authorised by legislation, in order to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998.

for more information

If you would like to find out more about specific partners' Freedom of Information processes and publication schemes then click on the relevant link below:

Cheltenham & Tewkesbury Primary Care Trust

Cheltenham Borough Council

Cheltenham Borough Homes

Gloucestershire Constabulary

Gloucestershire County Council