Freedom of information guidance and resources

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id="main-content" class="pt-20 md:pt-0 md:mt-7 mb-3 md:mb-4"> <div class="lg:container px-4 mb-4 print:hidden"> <nav aria-label="breadcrumb"> <ul class="-mx-1 flex flex-wrap text-sm"> <li class="mx-1"> <span class="after:content-['/'] after:ml-1"> <a href="/for-organisations/" class="text-link hover:underline">For organisations</a> </span> </li> <li class="mx-1"> <span>Freedom of information guidance and resources</span> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> <div class="lg:container px-4"> <div class="border-dotted border-b-2 border-neutral-200 pb-2 sm:pb-3.5 md:pb-6 mb-2 sm:mb-3.5 md:mb-5"> <div class="md:flex md:items-center"> <h1 class="py-0.5 font-serif leading-none sm:border-l-10 sm:pl-3 text-serif-2xl sm:text-serif-3xl border-theme-yellow">Freedom of information guidance and resources</h1> <div class="md:pl-2 md:ml-auto mt-2 md:mt-2 print:hidden"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid" data-grid-columns="12;" style="--umb-block-grid--grid-columns: 12;"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-container"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="rightAsideLayout" data-content-element-type-key="7ca5bc32-4d2c-4fe0-90a2-b8a3541e892f" data-element-udi="umb://element/07bc4b52f0ee4c238c663ff8408177d3" data-col-span="12" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 12; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <div class="umb-block-grid__area-container" style="--umb-block-grid--area-grid-columns: 12;"> <div class="umb-block-grid__area" data-area-col-span="9" data-area-row-span="1" data-area-alias="left" style="--umb-block-grid--grid-columns: 9;--umb-block-grid--area-column-span: 9; --umb-block-grid--area-row-span: 1;"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-container"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="richTextBlock" data-content-element-type-key="d7ec1d8a-2a00-439e-95b4-9f3537f5ece4" data-element-udi="umb://element/6ed8f87b976a4ea9b5bda1a77c18d77a" data-col-span="9" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 9; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <div class="prose prose-sm md:prose-base prose-h2:font-serif sm:prose-h2:border-l-10 sm:prose-h2:pl-3 sm:prose-h2:-ml-3 sm:prose-h2:relative sm:prose-h2:left-[-10px] prose-h3:font-serif sm:prose-lead:border-l-10 sm:prose-lead:pl-3 sm:prose-lead:-ml-3 sm:prose-lead:relative sm:prose-lead:left-[-10px] prose-hr:my-4 prose-h2:border-theme-yellow-light prose-lead:border-theme-yellow-light prose-theme-yellow sm:ml-[10px] sm:pl-3"> <div class="lead"><p>Find out about your obligations under the Freedom of Information Act and how to respond to requests.</p> <p>We've recently restructured our FOI guidance and resources. <a href="/for-organisations/foi/let-us-know-your-feedback-on-our-foi-resources/" title="Let us know your feedback on our FOI resources">Please let us know what you think</a>.</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="featureBoxBlock" data-content-element-type-key="6030bc2b-3b7d-4123-bb14-c57438efbee1" data-element-udi="umb://element/5a3f0d63ab2845e48c8b5d7e9d581590" data-col-span="9" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 9; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <feature-box x-href="https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/07/supporting-public-authorities-to-be-open-and-transparent/" x-title="Supporting public authorities to be open and transparent" x-description="Transparency is fundamental to our democracy. It underpins trust and confidence in public services.
One year into our new upstream approach, we reflect on what we have achieved so far, highlight products that you may have missed, and set out what else we will do.
Read our latest blog about the ICO’s FOI work." x-image="/media2/migrated/1413/reading-information-800x537.jpg?width=507&height=388&v=1db2417c75c6310" x-theme="yellow"></feature-box> </div> </div> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__area" data-area-col-span="3" data-area-row-span="1" data-area-alias="right" style="--umb-block-grid--grid-columns: 3;--umb-block-grid--area-column-span: 3; --umb-block-grid--area-row-span: 1;"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-container"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="headingBlock" data-content-element-type-key="6791e4e8-9a8f-4052-ac61-a19b1d400d6c" data-element-udi="umb://element/8b6d548ccfa54fe286212189a2020b9a" data-col-span="3" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 3; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <heading-text x-text="Find out and feedback" x-level="h2"></heading-text> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="actionLinkBlock" data-content-element-type-key="3cbb3d60-8c37-4306-8aa9-266982d84f91" data-element-udi="umb://element/a4eae78fca5948638d54c5937e8773df" data-col-span="3" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 3; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <action-link x-href="/for-organisations/foi/whats-new/" x-text="What's new" x-theme="yellow"></action-link> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="actionLinkBlock" data-content-element-type-key="3cbb3d60-8c37-4306-8aa9-266982d84f91" data-element-udi="umb://element/0498bdc8eeca400784fa9580090f2d95" data-col-span="3" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 3; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <action-link x-href="/for-organisations/foi/let-us-know-your-feedback-on-our-foi-resources/" x-text="Feed back on our FOI resources" x-theme="yellow"></action-link> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="actionLinkBlock" data-content-element-type-key="3cbb3d60-8c37-4306-8aa9-266982d84f91" data-element-udi="umb://element/51b725a41d024a6c9173e3a4a286a8f6" data-col-span="3" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 3; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <action-link x-href="/for-organisations/foi/foi-upstream-feedback-group/" x-text="Apply to join our FOI upstream feedback group" x-theme="yellow"></action-link> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="actionLinkBlock" data-content-element-type-key="3cbb3d60-8c37-4306-8aa9-266982d84f91" data-element-udi="umb://element/85c6c323194646adad61ddca2a92af91" data-col-span="3" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 3; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <action-link x-href="/about-the-ico/media-centre/icos-blog-on-its-information-rights-work/" x-text="ICO's blog on its information rights work" x-theme="blue"></action-link> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="twoColumnLayout" data-content-element-type-key="2522fd53-e375-454c-a66d-94c0fee9b3c6" data-element-udi="umb://element/bb840db75d5b4c98ad45cd6e89978fe7" data-col-span="12" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 12; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <div class="umb-block-grid__area-container" style="--umb-block-grid--area-grid-columns: 12;"> <div class="umb-block-grid__area" data-area-col-span="6" data-area-row-span="1" data-area-alias="left" style="--umb-block-grid--grid-columns: 6;--umb-block-grid--area-column-span: 6; --umb-block-grid--area-row-span: 1;"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-container"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="groupHeadingBlock" data-content-element-type-key="f3aa6f9d-d850-445a-a02c-4d370448e6fb" data-element-udi="umb://element/46a65c054b8049a9bcedc1848e908dff" data-col-span="6" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 6; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <group-heading x-title="How to respond to an FOI request" x-theme="yellow"></group-heading> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="imageNavigationBlock" data-content-element-type-key="4bbd5741-d1ef-4f53-b6f1-b46dd9ecc5e7" data-element-udi="umb://element/024a8e9ebe064747b9a57d46094d06c0" data-col-span="6" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 6; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <image-navigation x-href="/for-organisations/foi/guide-to-managing-an-foi-request/" x-title="Managing an FOI request" x-description="What is a valid request, cost, timescales, refusing requests, exemptions and internal reviews." x-image="/media2/migrated/1499/filing-cabinet-180x180.jpg?width=96&height=96&v=1db2417bff8e850" x-theme="yellow"></image-navigation> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="imageNavigationBlock" data-content-element-type-key="4bbd5741-d1ef-4f53-b6f1-b46dd9ecc5e7" data-element-udi="umb://element/8b7ee3ad1aed4626bb5837a88a919d55" data-col-span="6" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 6; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <image-navigation x-href="/for-organisations/foi/freedom-of-information-and-environmental-information-regulations/" x-title="Guidance index" x-description="Alphabetical list of all our detailed guidance about FOI." x-image="/media2/migrated/1292/clipboard-research-180x180.jpg?width=96&height=96&v=1db24180c7d12a0" x-theme="yellow"></image-navigation> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="imageNavigationBlock" data-content-element-type-key="4bbd5741-d1ef-4f53-b6f1-b46dd9ecc5e7" data-element-udi="umb://element/346bd061c2774d9bad97126b52f8b8e1" data-col-span="6" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 6; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <image-navigation x-href="/media2/migrated/4027681/beginners-guide-foi-templates-202312.docx" x-target="_blank" x-title="Response templates" x-description="Use our templates to help create your response to a request." x-image="/media2/migrated/1333/pen-180x180.jpg?width=96&height=96&v=1db2417f7f1d370" x-theme="yellow"></image-navigation> </div> </div> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__area" data-area-col-span="6" data-area-row-span="1" data-area-alias="right" style="--umb-block-grid--grid-columns: 6;--umb-block-grid--area-column-span: 6; --umb-block-grid--area-row-span: 1;"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-container"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="groupHeadingBlock" data-content-element-type-key="f3aa6f9d-d850-445a-a02c-4d370448e6fb" data-element-udi="umb://element/ef22ca68990748968e99ca1bb32e00bb" data-col-span="6" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 6; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <group-heading x-title="FOI information and resources" x-theme="yellow"></group-heading> </div> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="twoColumnLayout" data-content-element-type-key="2522fd53-e375-454c-a66d-94c0fee9b3c6" data-element-udi="umb://element/d4730cc3dcda43cba007f3c1d5db3bfe" data-col-span="6" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 6; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <div class="umb-block-grid__area-container" style="--umb-block-grid--area-grid-columns: 12;"> <div class="umb-block-grid__area" data-area-col-span="6" data-area-row-span="1" data-area-alias="left" style="--umb-block-grid--grid-columns: 6;--umb-block-grid--area-column-span: 6; --umb-block-grid--area-row-span: 1;"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-container"> <div class="umb-block-grid__layout-item" data-content-element-type-alias="iconNavigationBlock" data-content-element-type-key="bf55f9c2-2149-49f9-ba80-e5ad4d4f8855" data-element-udi="umb://element/77641b5c3dcf484fa8d8fc74b9fe9483" data-col-span="6" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 6; 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