FOI Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) received Royal Assent on 30th November 2000.  It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, including the County of Herefordshire District Council (“the Council”).  It sets out exceptions from that right and imposes a number of obligations on the Council.  There is a two-stage implementation of the Act.

From the 28th February 2003 the Council is required to adopt and maintain a publication scheme.  This is  a scheme which sets out:

a)      the classes of information that it publishes or intends to publish

b)      the manner in which it is or is intended to be published and

c)      whether the material is intended to be available to the public free of charge or not.

From January 2005, any person who makes a request to a public authority for information must be informed whether or not the public authority holds the information requested and, subject to exceptions detailed in the FOIA, supplied with that information.

The purpose of the publication scheme is to ensure that the amount of specific requests that the public can make from 2005 will be reduced because it is already included in the scheme.

The Council is committed to a policy of open access to information where possible and the operation of this publication scheme is seen as a welcome opportunity to promote this ethos.
You can download the publication scheme below.