Do you want access to information held by public authorities?
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 ensures the public have access to recorded information held by a public authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by UK-wide public authorities based in Scotland.
The act does this by stating that public authorities are obliged to publish certain information about their activities. It also states that members of the public are entitled to request information from public authorities.
Public authorities include government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and police forces. However, the act does not necessarily cover every organisation that receives public money. For example, it does not cover some charities that receive grants and certain private sector organisations that perform public functions.
Recorded information includes printed documents, computer files, letters, emails, photographs, and sound or video recordings.
