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 the decision is made 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. Please see our Model Publication Scheme web page for further information.
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.
You can print out this Downloadable request form [pdf document] fill it in manually and send it to the Council’s Corporate Information Governance Team using the contact details below.
Please note that we require three components when making a request for information:
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Your name and address for correspondence
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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
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The format you would prefer e.g. paper, e-mail
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 with 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 eForm or by contacting the Corporate Information Governance Team.
Corporate Information Governance Team
Darlington Borough Council
Town Hall
Darlington
DL1 5QT
Tel: 01325 388076
E-mail: freedomofinformation@darlington.gov.uk