The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act 2000) requires all public authorities, including all local councils, to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is essentially a guide to the information a public authority routinely publishes or intends to publish routinely.
A 'publication' is not just limited to information contained in a bound or printed form (for example a brochure or a book); it can also be interpreted as referring to the full range of information - print-outs from a computer can be just as much part of a scheme as a mass-produced leaflet.
Classes of information
A main requirement of a Publication Scheme is that it identifies the 'classes' of information. This is an important issue because it needs to be easy for you to use, as well as being easy for us to create and manage the information. To help us achieve this aim, we have adopted the following category list, as used on the council's website. It comprises 12 main ‘classifications’ listed below.
- Advice, Benefits and Emergencies
- Business
- Community, People and Living
- Council and Democracy
- Education
- Environment
- Health
- Jobs and Careers
- Leisure
- News
- Social Care
- Transport and Streets
How to obtain information
Information can be obtained diectly from the North Lincolnshire Council website. If you do not have internet access and require a paper copy of a particular piece of information, please call in at any of the Local Link offices or telephone 01724 296800, 01724 296820, or 01724 296840. All information can be provided in alternative formats such as braille or audio tape for those who require it. All information is provided free of charge.
Applications under the Freedom Of Information (FOI Act 2000
Under the FOI Act, anyone is entitled to request information not otherwise publicly available. Please note that the FOI Act does not cover requests for personal data. This continues to be the subject of the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. Two of the main features of the FOI Act are:
(i) A general right of access to information held by the council - subject to certain conditions and exemptions.
(ii) In cases where information is exempt from disclosure, except where an absolute exemption applies, there's a duty on the council to:
- inform the applicant if it holds the information; and
- communicate that information to the applicant, unless the public interest in maintaining the exemption in question outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
The council has to respond to requests within 20 working days of receipt. Requests for information under the Act should be addressed to:
Scunthorpe and District Local Link
Church Square House
30-40 High Street
Scunthorpe
DN15 6NL
Tel: 01724 296820
email: customerservice@northlincs.gov.uk.
What a request must include:
- The request must be made in writing
- The individual must include their name
- A contact address (either a postal or an email address)
- Applications should provide as much detail as possible to enable the council to identify the information sought
If information is required in a particular way (for example, a photocopy or on computer disk) this should also be stated in the application. If you have difficulty in identifying the precise information you require, or difficulty in making the application in writing, one of the council’s Local Link offices (telephone 01724 296800, 01724 296820 and 01724 29684) will be able to help you.
Rights of review and appeal
The Act sets out a series of exemptions to protect confidential or other information where disclosure may prejudice the interests of the State or of third parties. Where the council uses these provisions to withhold information, that decision is subject to a review process. Decisions about deferral of access to information or the way in which access is given are also subject to review. The two review processes are set out below.
Rights of internal review
If you are dissatisfied with the response from the council you may seek an internal review of the decision. It will be carried out by a senior officer of the council who has previously been involved with your request. If you have not received a response from the council within 20 working days of receipt of your initial application, the Information Commissioner will see this as a refusal of your request, and allow you to proceed to internal review. Requests for internal review should be made in writing to the Freedom of Information Centre. An internal review must normally be completed before an appeal may be made to the Information Commissioner.
Review by the Information Commissioner
If you are not happy with the outcome or the handling of the council's internal review you may seek an independent review from the Information Commissioner. Requests for a review by the Information Commissioner should be made in writing to:
The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545700
Fax: 01625 545510
Comments and Feedback
The Act is all about adopting a pro-active stance in the provision of information. We would therefore like to know what you, as a user, think of our Scheme. Please contact us via any of the routes mentioned above.
Download a copy of the full Publication Scheme
A copy of North Lincolnshire Council's Publication Scheme is available to download. It is in PDF format and will therefore require a suitable reader, such as that produced by Adobe, to view it. The reader can be downloaded free from the Adobe website (full instructions for downloading the software are provided at the site).
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Links to websites referred to in the publication scheme: