You have the right to ask to see recorded information held by public authorities. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA) give you the right to see requested information.
If you ask for environmental information, your request will be handled under the Environmental Regulations (EIRs) or Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations (EISRs).
Please note: you do not need to tell the organisation which law or regulations you’re making your request under.
Public authorities you can request information from are:
the NHS - including hospitals, GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians
publicly owned companies
publicly funded museums, galleries and theatres
the police and fire services
registered social landlords in Scotland
You can make an environmental information request to private or public companies that have public responsibilities - like water companies.
If you’re not sure if the organisation is one you can make a request to, check with the information commissioner for:
Scottish public authorities - you can search on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website
England, Wales or Northern Ireland and organisations that cover the whole of the UK - contact the Information Commissioner’s Office:
Telephone: 0303 123 1113 Welsh language: 0330 414 6421 Textphone: 01625 532692 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Find out about call charges
What you need to do
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
fax
If you cannot make your request in writing because of a disability, contact the public authority. They should help you to make the request another way - for example over the phone.
You can ask for environmental information in writing, in person or by phone.
You might not need to make a FOI request if the organisation has:
already published the information
previously responded to a 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 a FOI request.
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
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.
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.
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.
Please note: check the copyright status of information you receive if you plan to reproduce it.
Some sensitive information is not available to members of the public. If this applies, an organisation must tell you why they cannot give you some or all of the information you requested.
They might ask you to be more specific so they can provide just the information you need.
An organisation can also refuse your FOI request if getting information will cost more than £450, or £600 if the organisation is:
a government department, Parliament or part of the armed forces
the Northern Ireland Assembly or the Welsh Assembly
based in Scotland
An organisation can refuse your request for environmental information, if they think the cost of getting the information is too high.
If an organisation does not provide you with the information you requested, you should first ask them to review their decision.
If you’re not satisfied with the organisation’s response, you can complain or appeal to the information commissioner for:
England, Wales or Northern Ireland and organisations that cover the whole of the UK - complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office
Scottish public authorities - make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner
There is a different way to make a request if you want information that an organisation holds about you. This includes things like your health records or credit reference files.
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