Freedom of Information Requests (FOI)

Post author By Dom Watts
Post date 20th March 2022
Categories In Law

You have the right to ask to see recorded information held by public authorities.

Get answers from the government and public sector

Make a request for information to a UK public authority and by law, they have to respond

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) a give you the right to see information.

If you ask for environmental information, your request will be handled under the Environmental Regulations (EIRs).

Environmental information includes things like carbon emissions or the environment’s effect on human health.

You do not need to tell the organisation which law or regulations you’re making your request under.

Organisations you can ask for information

You can request information from some public authorities, such as:

government departments, devolved administrations, other public bodies and committees
local councils
schools, colleges and universities
the NHS – including hospitals, GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians
publicly owned companies
publicly funded museums, galleries and theatres
the police and fire services

How to make an FOI request

You must make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request in writing. You can do it by:

letter
email
social media
online form – check the organisation’s website or the government department’s page to see if they have an online form
Use the excellent What Do They Know website to make and publicise your FOI request.

Before you make a request

You might not need to make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request if the organisation has:

already published the information
previously responded to an FOI request

Check their website for responses to previous FOI requests. This is sometimes known as a ‘disclosure log’. You can search for published responses to FOI requests from government departments, agencies and arms length bodies.

You can also email or phone the organisation to ask if they’ve already published the information or responded to an FOI request.

What to include

You should give:

your name (not needed if you’re asking for environmental information)
a contact postal or email address
a detailed description of the information you want – for example, you might want all information held on a subject, or just a summary

You can ask for information in a particular format, such as:

paper or electronic copies of information
audio format
large print

When you’ll get a response

The organisation should send you the information within 20 working days of receiving your request. Some schools are allowed more time during school holidays.

In Scotland, you should allow 6 extra days if you send your request by post.

The organisation will tell you when to expect the information if they need more time.

When your information will be shared

If you’ve sent an FOI request to several government departments, they may share your name and request between them. This is to help deal with your enquiry more effectively.

No other details will be shared and your information will not be used for any other purpose.

Costs

Most requests are free but you might be asked to pay a small amount for photocopies or postage. The organisation will tell you if you have to pay anything.

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