The Freedom of Information Act applies to public authorities and companies that are wholly owned by public authorities.
Public authorities are obliged to provide information:
- Through a publication scheme
- In response to requests made under the general right of access.
When responding to requests, there are set procedures that public authorities need to follow. These include:
- The time public authorities are allowed for responding to requests.
- The fees or amount that public authorities can charge for dealing with requests. Public authorities are not obliged to deal with requests if the costs of finding the information exceed a set amount known as the appropriate limit.
For more practical advice on how to deal with a freedom of information and environmental information request, please read 'Hints for practitioners handling FOI and EIR requests'.
The Act also recognises that there are valid reasons for withholding information by setting out a number of exemptions from the right to know, some of which are subject to a public interest test. For further details see our exemptions guidance.