Freedom of Information (FOI)

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives a right of access to a wide range of information held by public authorities. The Act came into effect in two stages - since March 2003 public authorities have been required to maintain a Publication Scheme and from January 2005 any person has a statutory right to request information under the Act.

The Publication Scheme is a guide to the information that the Council publishes as a matter of routine. It sets out the classes of information that the council publishes, how it will be published and accessed, what fees there might be, the procedure for making requests etc. The scheme is intended to ensure that a wide range of information is easily available without the need to make specific requests for information.

The Council's Publication Scheme (.pdf, 337Kb) can be downloaded from here. The scheme is based on the Model Publication Scheme for Principal Local Authorities which has been prepared and approved by the Information Commissioner.

The council already makes a large proportion of this information available through its website.

If you cannot find the information that you want on the Publication Scheme or on our website you can make a request in writing, or by email, to the appropriate service area or One Stop Shop. Alternatively write to the IT Standards Manager, 5th floor, Brent House, 349-357 High Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 6BZ, or email foi@brent.gov.uk. We have an obligation to inform you whether the Council holds that information and if it does to provide the information (subject to exemptions) within 20 working days of receipt of your request.

Individuals already have the right of access to personal information about themselves under the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act extends this right to non-personal information.

More details about the above acts can be found on the Information Commission and Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) websites.
 

Re-use of Public Sector Information (PSI)
New regulations governing the re-use of public sector information came into force in July 2005 (Statutory Instrument 1515). These provide that public sector bodies have a discretion to permit the 're-use' of information and sets out guidelines for doing so. Other than for commercial purposes the council is happy to permit re-use but cannot accept any liability arising from the use of the information.

If you wish to re-use information that has been made available to you through FOI for commercial purposes you will need to apply for permission by writing to the IT Standards Manager, 5th floor, Brent House, 349-357 High Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 6BZ or email foi@brent.gov.uk. The council's policy on the re-use of public sector information is attached and more information can be found on the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) website.

The council's re-use of Public Information Policy (.pdf, 62Kb) can be downloaded here.

Complaints

Should you be dissatisfied with the outcome of your request for information you have the right to complain, which will trigger an internal review. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner.

To request a review, contact the IT Standards Manager, 5th floor, Brent House, 349-357 High Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 6BZ, or email foi@brent.gov.uk.

The Information Commissioner can be contacted by writing directly to:

The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
Fax: 01625 545 510