Accountability - Journalists

Question 1

Which bodies does Freedom of Information (FoI) cover?

Answer 1

Government departments
Local authorities
Schools, colleges and universities
Health trusts, hospitals and GP Surgeries
Publicly-owned companies
Publicly-funded museums
The police

Question 2

How do you make an FOI request?

Answer 2

You should give:
* your name.
* a contact address – this can be an email address – does not have to be a residential postal address.
* a detailed description of the information you want e.g. you might want all information held on a subject, or just a summary, or something else.

Question 3

On what grounds can a request be refused?

Answer 3

If the information requested is exempt from disclosure.
If the request is “vexatious” or a repeat of previous ones.
The cost of providing it exceeds official limits.

Question 4

Appeal process if you’ve been refused?

Answer 4

First, go through the body’s own internal appeals procedure.

If this fails, it is then possible to make an appeal against refusal of a request direct to the Information Commissioner’s Office – one in each of the four nations.