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The Freedom of Information Act 2000 and The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Publication Scheme
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 received Royal Assent on 30th November 2000 and The Freedom of Information ( Scotland) Act 2002 received Royal Assent on 28 May 2002. The Acts aim to foster a culture of openness in Government. The Acts establish a right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities and imposes obligations on public authorities to disclose information, subject to a range of exemptions. The Acts came fully into force on 1 January 2005. Under the Data Protection Act 1998 individuals already have the right to access their own information held on computer, and in some paper files. The Freedom of Information Acts will extend these rights to allow access to all types of information which public bodies hold, whether personal or non personal. However the public body will not be required to release any information to which any of the exemptions in the Acts apply. A full list of exemptions can be found at the Office of Public Sector Information as applicable to England, Wales and Northern Ireland Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Exempt Information and for Scotland at: Freedom of Information Scotland. An important feature of the Acts is the requirement for each public authority to produce a publication scheme setting out what information it will publish as a matter of course, how and when it will do so, and whether there is a charge for the information supplied. OffPAT Executive provides support and advice on project processes to the English Regional Development Agencies, the London Development Agency, English Partnerships, the Welsh Assembly Government and Scottish Enterprise. Copies of publications produced by OffPAT can be found on our website at OffPAT publications As the OffPAT Executive is a cost centre of the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA) it is subject to their policies and procedures including SEEDA’s Publication Scheme, or contact: Freedom of Information Officer, South East England Development Agency, Cross Lanes, Guildford GU1 1YA Tel: 01483 484200.
Each Organisation has its own Publication Scheme.
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