How to access information from a public authority

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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-green">How to access information from a public authority</h1> <div class="md:pl-2 md:ml-auto mt-2 md:mt-2 print:hidden"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid grid-cols-4"> <div class="col-span-4 md:hidden border-b-2 border-dotted border-neutral-200 flex justify-between pb-2 mb-4 cursor-pointer print:hidden" id="multipage-nav-toggle"> <p class="text-sm text-primary justify-start">Contents</p> <div class="justify-end"> <span class="icon icon-search text-primary" id="multipage-search-button"></span> <span class="icon icon-pointer-down text-primary"></span> </div> </div> <aside class="col-span-4 md:col-span-1 hidden md:block motion-safe:transition-all motion-safe:duration-200 overflow-hidden md:overflow-auto max-h-0 md:max-h-fit mb-6 md:mb-0" id="multipage-nav"> <form id="multipage-search" class="mb-3 flex" method="get"> <label for="multipage-search-input" class="sr-only">Search this document</label> <input type="search" name="search" value="" class="w-full py-2 px-2 text-sm bg-slate-100 border-r-0" id="multipage-search-input" /> <button type="submit" title="Search" class="icon icon-search px-2 bg-slate-100 border border-solid border-l-0 border-slate-700"> </button> </form> <nav> <ul> <li> <div class="mb-2 pb-2 border-b-2 border-dotted border-neutral-200"> <a href="/for-the-public/official-information/" class="pt-2 pr-2 pb-2 flex justify-between text-sm border-l-4 border-solid bg-neutral-100 text-neutral-600 border-theme-green pl-[10px]" data-id="1302"> <span>How to access information from a public authority</span> </a> </div> <ul> <li> <div> <a href="/for-the-public/official-information/preparing-and-submitting-your-information-request/" class="pt-2 pr-2 pb-2 flex justify-between text-sm border-l-4 border-solid text-link border-transparent hover:border-neutral-200 hover:bg-neutral-100 pl-[10px]" data-id="1333"> <span>How to write an effective request for information</span> </a> </div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div> <a href="/for-the-public/official-information/what-to-expect-after-making-an-information-request/" class="pt-2 pr-2 pb-2 flex justify-between text-sm border-l-4 border-solid text-link border-transparent hover:border-neutral-200 hover:bg-neutral-100 pl-[10px]" data-id="1337"> <span>What to expect after making an information request</span> </a> </div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div> <a href="/for-the-public/official-information/what-to-do-if-you-are-dissatisfied-with-the-response/" class="pt-2 pr-2 pb-2 flex justify-between text-sm border-l-4 border-solid text-link border-transparent hover:border-neutral-200 hover:bg-neutral-100 pl-[10px]" data-id="1349"> <span>What to do if you are dissatisfied with the response</span> </a> </div> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav> </aside> <div class="col-span-4 md:col-span-3 md:pl-10"> <div class="mb-10"> <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="detailsBlock" data-content-element-type-key="86269f89-de24-4579-bb82-a384f2ebac89" data-element-udi="umb://element/6c4a3a7dc93e41c590023dc68fd102f4" data-col-span="12" data-row-span="1" style=" --umb-block-grid--item-column-span: 12; --umb-block-grid--item-row-span: 1; "> <span class="hidden" id="f159f32d-94da-47d6-9c7c-99049480be2f">Click to toggle details</span> <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-green-light prose-lead:border-theme-green-light prose-theme-green sm:ml-[10px] sm:pl-3"> <details> <summary aria-describedby="f159f32d-94da-47d6-9c7c-99049480be2f">Latest updates - last updated 29 August 2024</summary> <div> <p><strong>29 August 2024</strong> - We've added a "Searching for information" checklist to the "Top tips" section.</p> </div> </details> </div> </div> <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/93998c7ff06743fd87b1a3a95df202e6" 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="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-green-light prose-lead:border-theme-green-light prose-theme-green sm:ml-[10px] sm:pl-3"> <h2>How does it work?</h2> <p>You have the right to request recorded information held by public authorities. The most obvious kind of recorded information is electronic or paper copies of formal documents, like policies or minutes of meetings. But you can also request information held in other kinds of records like emails, photographs or audio recordings.</p> <p>There are laws that give you this right of access, which are: </p> <ul> <li>the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA);</li> <li>Environmental Information Regulations (EIR); and</li> <li>INSPIRE Regulations. </li> </ul> <p>This guidance focuses on the FOIA and EIR. You can find more information on INSPIRE in our <a href="/for-organisations/eir-and-access-to-information/inspire-regulations/" title="INSPIRE Regulations">guide to the INSPIRE Regulations</a>. </p> <p>If you ask for information, public authorities must provide it, unless there’s a good reason not to. </p> <p>We use the phrase “information request” to cover the requests you can make using FOIA or EIR. </p> <p>If you want to request a copy of your own personal information from a public authority, make a <a href="/for-the-public/getting-copies-of-your-information-subject-access-request/" title="Your right to get copies of your data">subject access request</a>.</p> <h2>Who can you ask?</h2> <p>You can request information from any public authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and UK-wide public authorities based in Scotland. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.itspublicknowledge.info/" target="_blank" title="Scottish Information Commissioner">Scotland has its own legislation which covers Scottish public authorities and its own commissioner</a>. </p> <p>Examples of public authorities include:</p> <ul> <li><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations" target="_blank" title="Government departments">government departments</a>, devolved administrations and other public bodies and committees;</li> <li><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council" target="_blank" title="Local councils">local councils</a>;</li> <li>schools, colleges and universities;</li> <li>public health services – including hospitals, GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians;</li> <li>publicly-owned companies;</li> <li>publicly-funded museums, galleries and theatres; and</li> <li><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.police.uk/" target="_blank" title="Police">the police</a> and fire services.</li> </ul> <p>You can make an environmental information request to some private or public companies that have public responsibilities – such as water companies.</p> <p>If you are unsure if you can make a request to an organisation, you can contact us via our helpline on <strong>0303 123 1113</strong> or <a href="https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/contact-us-public/public-advice/#liveChat" title="Live chat" data-anchor="#liveChat">our live chat</a>.</p> <h2>Top tips</h2> <p>To make information requests as efficiently and effectively as possible, we suggest you take this approach:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Search first.</strong> Public authorities publish a great deal of information. You may find what you’re looking for by searching online or looking at the website’s sitemap. If the information is already in the public domain, it may be quicker to find it than ask for it. For more tips, see "Searching for information" below.</li> <li><strong>Keep it clear.</strong> Make your request as simple and straightforward as possible. Use simple language. Numbered lists or bullet-points might help you to structure your request. In general, try to make it as easy as possible for the public authority to understand what you want to receive.</li> <li><strong>Be nice.</strong> Even if you’re dissatisfied with the organisation, try to put that to one side and focus on the information you want to receive. If possible, keep your information request separate from any ongoing email threads or complaints about wider issues.</li> <li><strong>Read it twice.</strong> Before you send a request, take another look at it to make sure it’s clear and easy to follow. If you’re unsure, you could seek a second opinion from someone you know. They might spot something confusing that you can fix before you send the request. If the public authority has to ask you to clarify your request, it will take longer for you to receive the information you want.</li> </ol> <div class="rt-block rt-green"> <h3>Searching for information</h3> <p><span>The following resources could help you find the information you’re looking for.</span></p> <ul> <li><span><strong>Publication schemes, annual reports, policies and datasets published on public authorities’ websites.</strong></span><span> These kinds of documents explain who the organisation is, what they do, how they do it, and how they are performing. If you can’t easily find documents on their website, look for a sitemap, which may help.</span></li> <li><span> </span><span><strong>Disclosure logs on public authorities’ websites. </strong></span><span>These allow you to read a public authority’s responses to previous information requests.</span></li> <li><strong><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/" target="_blank">WhatDoTheyKnow</a></strong><span> is a public register of over 1 million information requests, and responses from thousands of public authorities.</span></li> <li><span> </span><span><strong>Advanced searches</strong></span><span> of a public authority’s website. For example:</span> <ul> <li><span> </span><span>Use Google’s <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.google.co.uk/advanced_search" target="_blank">advanced search dashboard</a> or similar facilities on other search engines. </span></li> <li><span>Add “site:” to your search query (eg “annual report site:ico.org.uk”). </span><span></span></li> <li><span>Search for a specific file type in your search query. In Google it’s “filetype:” (eg “ICO annual report filetype:pdf”).</span></li> </ul> </li> <li><span> </span><strong>Previous website versions</strong>. Viewing historic snapshots of an organisation’s website may help you retrieve information which is no longer current. You can search for previous website versions using: <ul> <li><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/webarchive/find-a-website/" target="_blank">UK Government Web Archive</a>.</li> <li><span>Not-for-profit organisation the Internet Archive’s <a rel="noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/" target="_blank">Wayback Machine</a>.</span></li> </ul> </li> <li><span> </span><strong>National regulators or other bodies. </strong>These organisations are likely to publish information they collect about the bodies they oversee. For example: <ul> <li><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Office of National Statistics</a> website.</li> <li>Resources available through <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics" target="_blank">gov.uk</a>, including <a rel="noopener" href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.data.gov.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CAiden.Clarkson%40ico.org.uk%7Cdc7c2512718a4b1612d108dc7b5a9119%7C501293238fab4000adc1c4cfebfa21e6%7C0%7C0%7C638520876120012999%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cjk3ijsZwueEF3mO2bVMI7LQQIwPndPlPMUVepCgCWc%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" data-anchor="?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.data.gov.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CAiden.Clarkson%40ico.org.uk%7Cdc7c2512718a4b1612d108dc7b5a9119%7C501293238fab4000adc1c4cfebfa21e6%7C0%7C0%7C638520876120012999%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cjk3ijsZwueEF3mO2bVMI7LQQIwPndPlPMUVepCgCWc%3D&reserved=0">www.data.gov.uk</a>.</li> </ul> </li> <li><span> </span><span><strong>Academic journals, reports or articles</strong></span><span>. These might require a subscription, but may also be available through a local library, employer, professional body or education institution.<strong>  </strong></span></li> <li><span><strong>Civil society organisations, expert researchers and journalists. </strong>Expert organisations and individuals publish research and opinion, and share information on social media</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2>Protect public money</h2> <p>Gaining access to public information is your right and public bodies must respect that.</p> <p>However, requests do cost public bodies time and money to respond to. This is public money and we need to make sure it’s spent responsibly. </p> <p>It is important that you don’t submit frivolous or trivial requests.</p> <p>You should not make requests for the same information more than once, unless the information has changed a lot.</p> <p>You should not make requests as a way of ‘punishing’ a public body if you think they have done something wrong. If you do any of the above, the public body could consider your request vexatious and refuse to action it.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="print:hidden inline-flex flex-col items-start gap-5"> <a href="/for-the-public/official-information/preparing-and-submitting-your-information-request/" class="group text-primary"> <div class="flex items-center"> <i class="icon icon-arrow-right text-4xl"></i> <span class="pl-3 flex flex-col"> <span class="text-lg font-semibold">Next</span> <span class="text-sm underline underline-offset-4 decoration-dotted decoration-1 group-hover:decoration-solid">How to write an effective request for information</span> </span> </div> </a> </nav> </div> </div> </div> </main> <a href="#top" id="button-top" class="transition-opacity duration-500 flex items-center justify-center fixed right-4 bottom-4 z-10 rounded-full outline outline-white w-8 h-8 bg-primary opacity-0 hidden print:hidden"> <span class="icon icon-arrow-up text-white"></span> <span 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