Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) is a step towards the idea of having ‘open’ government. It allows anyone, whether resident in the UK or not, to request information from any public authority or sub-contracted organisation that receives taxpayers’ money. It includes all types of recorded information.

Personal data is not covered by this Act ~ that is the remit of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Requests for information can be made without giving a reason and should be directed to the organisation in question. Unless there are grounds for not disclosing it, that organisation is obliged to supply it, no matter who the applicant is. Detailed advice can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

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