FOI 1 Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is the legislation of FOI?
The freedom of information Act 2000. However, it came into effect in 2005.
What is the two way access?
The freedom of information act provides the public to information free of charge but subject to cost limits.
-it does this in two ways by…public authorities are required to publish certain information about their activities.
Members of the public are entitled to request information from public authorities.
Where does the act cover?
The act covers any recorded information in England, Wales, Northern Island and and any uk wide public authorities based in Scotland.
Who can the public request information from?
100,000 major and minor public authorities- Government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools, armed forces, Ofcom, the GMC, police/fire services. Companies – entirely owned by local authorities
What counts as recorded information?
Printed documents, computer files, letters, emails, photographs, and sound or video recordings. Only information held counts.
What was 2012 amendment to the FOI legislation?
Datasets can be sent in reusable, electronic form
Who can the public not request an FOI from?
Security and intelligence agencies MI5 MI6 GCHQ, Courts and tribunals*, housing associations, charities and private prisons, mp and peers and harbour authorities.
How does an FOI work/ what three reasons might you may not receive the request?
Authorities should respond within 20 working days by supplying the information. Why you want it should not influence a decision. Three reasons not to do so:-
not held- the authority does not hold the information
exempt- the information is exempt from disclosure.
too costly- it exceeds the cost limit for free provision
What are some examples of absolute exemptions?
information is reasonably accessible another way, disclosure forbidden by law, security matters,
Court records, personal information/provided in confidence by another party
What is qualified exemption?
information may be withheld if the public interest in withholding is greater than the public interest in disclosure
What is the timeline for an FOI request refusal?
20 days- no response/ refusal
20-40 days- request an internal review from a different official
40+ days- appeal to the information commissioner
28+ days- After IC decision. First-tier Tribunal (Information)
Decision posted online
What is a case study of a successful FOI request?
A case study would be the Scotsman’s who used an FOI to find out how many covid vaccine doses wasted in one week.
