Freedom of information policy

Exemptions

The Freedom of Information Act contains 24 exemptions which need to be taken into account when deciding whether a piece of information should be disclosed or withheld.

Some exemptions are ‘absolute’, and if applied there is no obligation to consider the request for information any further and the information will be withheld.

Most of the exemptions are ‘qualified’ and subject to a test of the balance of public interest to determine if the public interest in applying the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

The council will apply the ‘public interest test’ before any qualified exemptions are applied.

Charging

Most information requested under the act can be supplied without charge. We will provide up to a maximum of 18 hours of employee time in order to:

• Determine whether it holds the information requested
• Locate the information or documents containing the information
• Retrieve such information or documents
• Prepare the information for disclosure, including any necessary redaction of ‘exempt’ information

The council reserves the right to refuse to supply information where the cost of doing so would exceed £450. This is known as ‘the appropriate limit’.

The council may choose, at its discretion, to charge a fee for complying with a request where the cost of compliance would exceed £450. Any fee must be calculated according to the regulations within the act and the individual notified of the charge. The information will be made available once the fee has been paid.

Where a request for information is likely to exceed the ‘appropriate limit’, it is good practice to contact the enquirer and see if their request can be reduced, the effect of bringing the time and costs below the ‘appropriate limit’. The council will seek to follow this procedure.

Where a request for information can be resolved within the ‘appropriate limit’ charges may only be applied for direct costs such as printing and postage.

The council may choose, at its discretion, to charge a fee for direct costs.

Training

We are committed to training our employees so that they understand the law, their responsibilities and are able to respond to requests for information. We will ensure that all new employees receive relevant training and that existing employees receive refresher training.

Last updated: 20/11/2023 09:31