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__NOTOC__
<big>'''FOI''wiki'' - helping you unlock the secrets of UK Freedom of Information laws'''</big>
<big>'''FOI''wiki'' - helping you unlock the secrets of UK Freedom of Information laws'''</big>


{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="background: #99BBAA;"
|-
|FOI''wiki'' is designed to help you ensure your Freedom of Information requests are fairly treated by Public Authorities.  Often the Authority will misapply an Exemption to your request and not supply the information you're after.  This site allows you to check the law and official guidance all in one place.
|}


== Introduction ==
==How FOI works==
 
FOI''wiki'' is designed to help you ensure your Freedom of Information requests are fairly treated by Public Authorities.  Often the Authority will misapply an Exemption to your request and not supply the information you're after.  This site allows you to check the law and official guidance all in one place.
 
The Freedom of Information laws all roughly follow the same process, although there are some subtle differences:
The Freedom of Information laws all roughly follow the same process, although there are some subtle differences:
# you make an [[information request]] to a public authority
# You make an [[information request]] to a public authority.  The authority can ask you to [[clarification|clarify]] this.Normally the request won't cost you anything, but occasionally the authority may ask you to pay a [[fees|fee]] to cover printing and postage or other costs
# the authority can ask you to [[clarification|clarify]] this
# within [[time_for_compliance|20 working days]] the authority will normally either send you the information you asked for or will refuse to send it, claiming one or more [[exemptions|exemptions]] that are allowed to them under the laws.
# under certain circumstances, the authority may ask you to pay a [[fees|fee]] to cover printing and postage or other costs
# for refusals, you can [[internal_reviews|ask]] to the authority to reconsider the way your request was handled.
# you wait for them to answer back within a certain [[time_for_compliance|time period]]
# if that doesn't work you also have the [[right to appeal]] to a tribunal/court.
# the authority will either send you the information you ask or will refuse to send it, claiming one or more [[exemptions|exemptions]] that are allowed to them under the laws.
# for refusals, you can make an [[internal_reviews|appeal]] to the authority to get them to reconsider the exemptions
# if this is still unsuccessful, you can [[application for a decision|apply to the Information Commissioner (or the Scottish Information Commissioner) for a decision]] on the matter
# if this is still unsuccessful, you can [[appeal]] to the [[How to appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal (Information Rights)|First-tier Tribunal (Information Rights)]] (or the Court of Session for Scotland's FOI laws)


== Legislation ==
==the Law==


Main article: [[access to information laws]]
Main article: [[access to information laws]]


The following sections are the various laws that apply to FOI requests.  Each section contains more details on process and exemption guidance:
The following rules apply to FOI requests in the UKFollow the links for more details on process and exemption guidance:
 
England, Wales & Northern Ireland:
* [[Freedom of Information Act 2000]]
* [[Environmental Information Regulations 2004]]
* [[Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985]]


Scotland
{| class="wikitable"
* [[Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002]]
|-
* [[Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004]]
! Type
! UK Central Gov., England, Wales and NI
! Scotland
! Cross-border (NI/ROI)
|-
| General
| [[Freedom of Information Act 2000]]
| [[Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002]]
|
|-
|  Environmental
| [[Environmental Information Regulations 2004]]
| [[Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004]]
|
|-
| Geo-spatial data sets
| [[INSPIRE Regulations 2009]]
| [[INSPIRE (Scotland) Regulations 2009]]
|
|-
| Codes of practice
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|[[North/South Bodies Freedom of Information Code of Practice]]
|}


Joint North/South Bodies (Northern Ireland / Republic of Ireland)
FOIwiki also has pages on Freedom of Information in the [[Crown Dependencies]] (the [[Isle of Man]], [[Jersey]], and [[Guernsey]]).
* [[North/South Bodies Freedom of Information Code of Practice]]


== Official guidance ==
== Official guidance ==
Line 41: Line 57:
* Defra Guidance on EIRs: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/opengov/eir/
* Defra Guidance on EIRs: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/opengov/eir/


== Make a FOI request ==
== Make an FOI request ==


WhatDoTheyKnow is an easy-to-use website that allows you to make FOI requests to over 3,600 public authorities.  All correspondence, including any information released by the public authority is automatically published on the website, for you to find and read.
[[WhatDoTheyKnow]] is an easy-to-use website that allows you to make FOI requests to over 15,000 public authorities.  All correspondence, including any information released by the public authority is automatically published on the website, for you to find and read.


http://www.whatdotheyknow.com
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com


WhatDoTheyKnow.com currently accounts for around 10% of all FOI requests made in the UK[http://www.mysociety.org/2009/10/01/whatdotheyknow-foi-fraction-up/]
WhatDoTheyKnow.com currently accounts for around 15% of all FOI requests made in the UK<sup>[http://www.mysociety.org/2011/07/01/whatdotheyknow’s-share-of-central-government-foi-requests-–-q2-2011/]</sup>


{{Copyright}}
{{Copyright}}

Latest revision as of 16:24, 10 January 2015

FOIwiki - helping you unlock the secrets of UK Freedom of Information laws

FOIwiki is designed to help you ensure your Freedom of Information requests are fairly treated by Public Authorities. Often the Authority will misapply an Exemption to your request and not supply the information you're after. This site allows you to check the law and official guidance all in one place.

How FOI works

The Freedom of Information laws all roughly follow the same process, although there are some subtle differences:

  1. You make an information request to a public authority. The authority can ask you to clarify this.Normally the request won't cost you anything, but occasionally the authority may ask you to pay a fee to cover printing and postage or other costs
  2. within 20 working days the authority will normally either send you the information you asked for or will refuse to send it, claiming one or more exemptions that are allowed to them under the laws.
  3. for refusals, you can ask to the authority to reconsider the way your request was handled.
  4. if that doesn't work you also have the right to appeal to a tribunal/court.

the Law

Main article: access to information laws

The following rules apply to FOI requests in the UK. Follow the links for more details on process and exemption guidance:

Type UK Central Gov., England, Wales and NI Scotland Cross-border (NI/ROI)
General Freedom of Information Act 2000 Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Environmental Environmental Information Regulations 2004 Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004
Geo-spatial data sets INSPIRE Regulations 2009 INSPIRE (Scotland) Regulations 2009
Codes of practice     North/South Bodies Freedom of Information Code of Practice

FOIwiki also has pages on Freedom of Information in the Crown Dependencies (the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey).

Official guidance

Make an FOI request

WhatDoTheyKnow is an easy-to-use website that allows you to make FOI requests to over 15,000 public authorities. All correspondence, including any information released by the public authority is automatically published on the website, for you to find and read.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com

WhatDoTheyKnow.com currently accounts for around 15% of all FOI requests made in the UK[1]


Copyright notice