Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 received Royal Assent on 30 November 2000. It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on public authorities. A ?public authority' is defined in the Act, and includes but is not restricted to central and local government, non-departmental public bodies, the police, the health service and schools, colleges and universities. Any person who makes a request to a public authority for information must be informed whether the public authority holds that information and, subject to exemptions, supplied with that information.
Your rights and our responsibilities from June 2003
Under the FOI Act all Police Authorities including Leicestershire Police Authority must have a Publication Scheme (see Library section of this site) setting out the information we routinely make publicly available. Our scheme must be approved by the Information Commissioner and we have to review the scheme from time to time. In adopting (or reviewing) our Publication Scheme, we are required to have regard to the public interest in:
- Allowing public access to information we hold; and
- to the publication of reasons for the decisions we make
Our publication scheme must:
- Set out the classes of information which we publish or intend to publish;
- Say how we will publish the information in each class; and
- Say if we will provide the information free or charge for it
The purpose of our Publication Scheme is to let you know what information is readily available from us without your needing to ask us for it. By readily available we mean that the information is available on this website; can be obtained from us if you request it by letter, e-mail or telephone call; can be purchased from us; or can be found in a local library.