Updated December 2008: You can now
access our new
Publication Scheme, with contains links to key sources of
information bout the Council.
Residents have a right to know what the Council is doing, how
we are doing it and how you can take part.
You already have a right to access some of the information
produced by the Council. This includes the right to attend most
meetings, with access to most of the agendas, reports, minutes and
background papers of these meetings and our forward plan.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 extends your rights and
requires us to produce a Publication Scheme detailing the
information that we publish regularly. Your rights to Council
information are set out in Part 4 section D of the Council's
Constitution.
The Act came into force on 1st January 2005.
We will use this page to keep you informed of progress.
- What is a publication scheme?
- What about information that isn't listed in the publication scheme?
- Why can the Council withhold information?
- Further Information
See also: Re-use of Public Sector Information
Our Publication Scheme has been developed so that members of
the public can become more aware of the information that is readily
available to them without the need to make a formal request for
access and to assist the public in accessing that information by
providing details of contact points.
It is not a full list of all our publications, because these
change all the time. We are developing lists of publications
currently available under each heading to make the scheme even
easier to understand.
The Information Commissioner approved our Publication Scheme
on 28 February 2003.
You Can:
From January 2005 you have a general right of access to
different types of information held by the Council. This right
covers information recorded in any form and obtained from any
source, not just documents we publish.
Access requests must be made in writing and you may have to
pay a fee. The government has set guidance on the fees and costs
the Council can charge for locating and retrieving the information
plus the actual cost of photocopying and postage.
Public authorities like the Council must respond to requests
within 20 working days confirming:
- whether any information is held
- a copy of all information that can be released
- the exemptions applying to any information withheld
To make a request for information, you can either:
a. Complete the electronic request form here
b. Download and complete the following FOI Information Request Application Form
Download
the FOI Information Request Application Form (93K
Microsoft Word document)
Please return your completed application to:
Information Officer, Information & Communications Unit,
Frenchgate House, Frenchgate, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10
7AF.
Tel: (01748) 829100, Fax: (01748) 822257
Tel: (01748) 829100, Fax: (01748) 822257
Our Freedom of Information Policy explains
how we will deal with requests for information. You can
download a copy of the Freedom of Information
Policy
here.
The Act is one of a number of national policies to modernise
government and encourage more open and accountable decision making
but there are some exemptions to the right of access.
The Council can withhold information like details of legal
proceedings, information provided in confidence or personal
information covered by the Data Protection Act 1998.
We do not have to provide information if the cost of locating
and retrieving it is £450 or more and we can refuse requests from
anyone who repeatedly asks for the same or similar
information.
If you have any questions about your rights under the Freedom
of Information Act 2000 please contact the Council's
Information Officer
Contact:
The Information Officer,
Information & Communications Unit, Frenchgate House,
Frenchgate, Richmond,
North Yorkshire
DL10 7AF.
Tel: (01748) 829100, Fax: (01748) 822257
Tel: (01748) 829100, Fax: (01748) 822257
You can also get information leaflets from the Information
Commissioner's web site at http://www.dataprotection.gov.uk/ or
by telephone on 01625 545745.
You can also get information leaflets and advice from:
The Information Commissioner's website at http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/ or by telephone on 01625 545745.
The Lord Chancellor's Department website at http://www.dca.gov.uk/
The Campaign for Freedom of Information's website at http://www.dca.gov.uk/
Print page
Last updated:
17 December 2008
