Freedom of Information (FOI) Act

Freedon of Information

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) has created significant new rights of access to recorded information held by public authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Freedom of Information Act takes a major step forward in terms of openness and accountability and is part of a wider group of policies. It is expected that these rights will facilitate better public understanding of how public authorities carry out their duties, why they make the decisions they do and how they spend public money.

The Freedom of Information Act has been implemented in two parts.

February 2003 - As a Local Authority, South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) was required to have a Publication Scheme. The Publication Scheme details all of the information that is regularly published by SCDC. The Publication Scheme shows where the information is located, in what format the information is published and whether there is a charge for providing the information.

January 2005 - A member of the public has the right to request information held by the Council. Under this Act, SCDC must respect:

  • The right of an individual to be told, in writing, whether specified information is held by the public authority.
  • The right to receive that information if no exemptions apply and provided that the correct fee (if any) is paid.

History of the FOI Act and its uses in other countries

Publication Scheme

The Publication Scheme lists all published information that is produced by South Cambridgeshire District Council. The Publication Scheme categorises all publications and shows where the information is located, the information of the published information and whether there is a charge for providing the information.

Making requests for information

From January 2005 any member of the public can request information which is held here at the Council. In order to receive an efficient response to your request, the request must be in writing, either by post, email or by using our online freedom of information request form. Letters should be addressed as below and emails sent to FOI@scambs.gov.uk (This link will open in a new window):

FOI Requests
South Cambridgeshire District Council
South Cambridgeshire Hall
Cambourne Business Park
Cambourne
CB23 6EA

Sending an email/letter to another South Cambs email address/recipient will not guarantee you a fast and effective service.

The Constitution Unit Logo

Have you made an FOI request to a local government body?

The Constitution Unit, a research body at University College London, is carrying out a study of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and its effect on local government.

FOI fees

The freedom of information fee structure outlines how much we will charge for supplying you with the information you have requested.

Exemptions

Under the FOI Act, there are two main categories of exemption, qualified and absolute, making a total of 23 exemptions that can be applied to requests for information.

Frequently Asked Questions

In our frequently asked questions section we aim to answer the difficult and practical questions which the Act throws up such as:

What is the difference between Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act?
What is the purpose of the Freedom of Information Act?
What is the Public Interest Test?

Freedom of Information Act Policy and Procedure

The Freedom of Information Act Policy and Procedure includes details of how South Cambridgeshire District Council will handle requests under FOI, charging, role of the systems used and other frequently asked questions.

Complaints

If you wish to complain about the information you have received in response to your request, please contact the FOI Monitoring Officer, tel: 03450 450 500; email: foicomplaints@scambs.gov.uk (This link will open in a new window) or write to the address given above.

 

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