The Freedom of Information Act 2000 entitles anybody to ask Darlington Borough Council for any recorded information it keeps about the processes and working practices of the Council. The Act has been in force since 1st January 2005.
What information is covered by the Act?
Since January 2005, under the Act, any person requesting information from us has the right to be informed in writing whether we hold the information requested. If the information is held, and is not covered by any of the Act’s exemptions, you have the right to be supplied with that information.
You do not have to say why you are making the request under the Freedom of Information Act for the rules to apply. When we receive a request, we must provide the information you have requested (subject to any exemptions). We also have a duty to assist you, if required, in framing your request.
Are there any exemptions to what can be accessed?
Although you may request any information we hold, there are 23 exemptions under the Act that may mean we are not able to disclose the information you need. The exemptions are not there as an excuse to refuse access; they are merely intended to protect information that should not be released.
If a decision is taken to withhold information, it must be linked to a specific exemption or exemptions and all arguments behind the decision must be clearly documented and made available to the applicant making the request.
Further information on exemptions - pdf document
Publication Scheme
One of our obligations under the Act is to produce a Publication Scheme. It is available from all of our main Council buildings.
The Council's Publication Scheme - pdf document
The Scheme:
• lists the types of information that we produce
• lets the public know where that information can be obtained
• informs the public if there is a charge for the information
Our Scheme is currently under review.
Other sources of information
The Office of the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: - 01625 545 745 / 08456 30 60 60
Email - mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) Website
The Department for Constitutional Affairs
Information Rights Division
Selbourne House
54 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 6QW
Tel: 020 7210 8500
The Department for Constitutional Affairs Website
Asking for information contained in the Council’s Publication Scheme
You can ask for information by post – a request can be submitted to:
Information Governance Team
Corporate Services Department
Town Hall
Darlington
DL1 5QT
Email: freedomofinformation@darlington.gov.uk
You can also ask for information using the online request form
Asking for information not in the Publication Scheme
You can request information not included in the Scheme, but requests must be made in writing. This can include letter, email or fax. Providing we hold the information, and it is not subject to any exemptions or exemptions, we will endeavour to provide you with the information as soon as possible although we have 20 working days to comply.
If you do not wish to request information using the online request form. You can print out this downloadable request form - pdf document, fill it in manually and send it to the Council’s Information Governance Team at the address above.
Please note that we require three components when making a request for information:
• Your name and address for correspondence
• The information you would like access to – it would assist us in getting the information to you quickly if you could be as specific as possible
• The format you would prefer e.g. paper, email
If we are unable to provide the information for any reason (e.g. we don’t hold it or it is exempt from disclosure) we well let you know as soon as possible.
Will I have to pay for the information?
The Council does not currently charge for requests for information.
Accessing information for those will special needs
We will assist you if you have special needs for example information can be made available in large print or we can arrange to have information translated into one of the five local languages if English is not your first language.
Complaints and contacts
If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request, you have a right to complain using our complaints form or contact the Records and Information Manager in the Information Governance Team.