What is the Freedom of Information Act?
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an Act of Parliament promoting openness and accountability amongst public authorities by giving people rights of access to the information held by them. These rights are expected to help the public:
- Better understand how they carry out our duties
- Understand the decisions they make and the processes behind them
- See how they spend public money
Any member of the public can ask a Council for any information it holds using the Act from its implementation in January 2005. The Council has 20 working days to respond to that request. Within that time, the Council must confirm or deny that it holds the requested information. If it does hold the information then it is required to disclose it unless it meets one of the exemption categories set out in the Act.
