Freedom of information - publication scheme
Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Publication scheme
In implementing the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Rochdale
Metropolitan Borough Council promotes an understanding of the work
undertaken within the Council to foster a spirit of trust with the
public and other organisations. We achieve this by promoting
transparency in the way we make our decisions and by providing
clear information about our policies and processes through our
publication scheme. We deal with individual requests for
information courteously and promptly and provide advice and
assistance if necessary.
On this page you will find information on:
What is freedom of information?
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives a general right of
access to all types of recorded information held by public
authorities. It lists exemptions from that right and places a
number of obligations on public authorities.
The Act came into force in two stages:
- The first stage was in February 2003 when Rochdale Metropolitan
Borough Council adopted a Publication Scheme.
- The second stage came into force in January 2005. Any person
now making a request to a public authority for information must be
informed whether the public authority holds that information and
supplied with that information. This is subject to a number of
exemptions listed in the Act.
What is a publication scheme?
A Publication Scheme is a guide to the classes of information
that the Council publishes or intends to publish routinely. The
term “published” is broad and is not limited to information
produced in paper forms. As far as the Freedom of Information Act
2000 is concerned, information made publicly available has been
published. Therefore, information on the Council’s website is as
much part of the Publication Scheme as printed documents.
What are classes of information?
A requirement of the Act is to specify “classes” of information
that the Council will publish within its Publication Scheme.
The Information Commissioner has issued a ‘Model Publication
Scheme’ and from 1 January 2009 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough
Council has adopted the ‘Model Scheme’.
The Model Scheme contains 7 classes of information and these are
as follows:
- Who we are and what we do
- What we spend and how we spend it
- What our priorities are and how we are doing
- How we make decisions
- Our policies and procedures
- Lists and registers
- The services we offer
Examples of the type of information available are given below
under the Guide to Information.
By adopting the Information Commissioner’s ‘Model Scheme’
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council is committed to the
following:
- To proactively publish information (including environmental
information which is held by it and contained within each
class).
- To provide a means by which the Authority can ensure the public
are aware of the sorts of the information the Council has committed
to make readily available, how they can access and whether they
will have to pay for it.
- To review and update the information on a regular basis and in
accordance with The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities
Publication Scheme Review Guidance.
How will I request additional information not covered by this
scheme?
The Council includes as much information in the Publication
Scheme as it can however, if you cannot find what you are looking
for you can make a request for the information.
The Act is retrospective and information requests can be for
information created before the Act came fully in to force in 2005.
However, where any of the information comes within an exempt
category either under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or other
relevant legislation, it will be published with the exempt material
deleted.
Will I be charged for information?
Material which is published and accessed on the website can be
downloaded free of charge. Some information may only be available
in hard copy and some information will only be available for
inspection. Charges may be made for information subject to a legal
charging regime. Charges under the publication scheme may be made
for actual disbursements such as:
- Photocopying
- Printing
- Postage and packaging
- The cost directly incurred as a result of viewing
information
Any charges will be in accordance with the Council’s policy.
Who do I contact?
For information concerning the scheme or if you wish to make a
request for other information you can contact the following us
using the contact information provided on this page.
Making a complaint, suggestion or compliment
If you are not satisfied with our response to a request for
information you may make a complaint. If you have any suggestions
or compliments, we need to know so that we can improve our service
to you.
If after going through the Council’s formal complaint and
appeals system you are still not satisfied then the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 makes provision for you to complain directly
to the Information Commissioner’s
Office:
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Advice and assistance
If you need help to make a request for information please
contact us using the contact details on this page.
Reviewing and maintaining the scheme
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 states that a publication
scheme should be reviewed from time to time. The Council is
responsible for reviewing and maintaining this guide to information
and the data it contains. Material will be updated and any outdated
information will be removed. This guide and operation of the scheme
will be reviewed annually in accordance with The Association of
Greater Manchester Authorities Publication Scheme Review
Guidance.
Copyright
Reproducing material supplied under this Publication Scheme
without the express permission of the Council may be an
infringement of copyright.
Our guide to information
The guidance below will help you by giving some examples of the
type of information we routinely make available.
Where a document is indicated within this guidance it will be
the current version.
Who we are and what we do
What we spend and how we spend it
What our priorities are and how we are doing
- Annual
reports - The Council’s Annual Report / The
Council’s Plan
- Strategies and business plans for services provided by
the Council - Strategies, business
and service plan for directorates, departments and services
including the Council Plan and the
Capital Strategy and Asset Management
Plan.
- Strategies developed in
partnership with other authorities - For example
housing strategies and plans, education strategies, homeless
strategies, customer involvement strategies, crime reduction
strategies.
- Economic development action
plan - Economic development strategy and
plan.
- Forward plan -
The Council’s Forward Plan which details the Key Decisions that the
Council is going to take over a four month period.
- Capital
strategy - Capital and Asset Management
Strategies and Plans.
- District auditor’s reports on
the best value performance plan and performance
indicators - For example within District Audit
Reports within the Annual Report and Best Value Reports.
- Local Area
Agreements - Partnership agreements made by the
Council by working with various groups and partnerships in the
public, private, voluntary, community and faith sectors.
- Statistical information produced
in accordance with the Council’s and departmental
requirements - For example information about
schools attendance, and population and employment.
- Impact
assessments - Executive Reports containing Impact
Assessments (such as Equality Impact Assessments)
- Service
standards - Customer Charter and Service
Standards.
- Public service agreements - Local public
service agreements.
How we make decisions
Our policies and procedures
Lists and registers
Available for inspection only
- Public registers and registers held as public
records - For example Register of Births, Deaths and
Marriages, Register of Electors, Register of Premises Licences and
Club Premises Licences, Register of Hackney Carriage Drivers.
- Asset registers and information asset register
- Corporate Asset Management Plan.
- Register of councillors’
financial and other interests - Register of
Members’ Interests in accordance with the Local Government Act 2000
[Section 81]
- Register of gifts and hospitality - For
council officers at assistant director level and above.
- Highways, licensing, planning, commons, footpaths etc
- For example Definitive Maps,
Register of Adopted Highways, Register
of Planning Application,Register of
Common Land.
- Register of
electors - The Register of Electors and
information about the Register and where it can be inspected
Services provided by the council
Details of all the Council’s Services can be found in the
Council’s Directory of Services.
- Regulatory and licensing
responsibilities - For example hackney carriage licensing,
motor salvage licensing, amusement licensing, liquor
licensing.
- Services for local businesses - For
example business services and advice in
respect of financial support,
property advice, business
opportunities, recruitment of
staff.
- Services for other organisations - For example
student groups, youth groups and club
activities.
- Services for members of the public - Details
of all the Council’s Services can be found in the Council’s
Directory of Services.
- Services for which the council is entitled to recover a
fee, together with those fees - For example Licensing Fees
and Charges, Building Control Charges, Service Charges for Council
Tenants, Local Land Charges.
- Information for visitors to the area, leisure information,
events, museums,
libraries
and archive
collections - Information about the local
area.
- Leaflets, booklets and newsletters - Various
leaflets and council publications available in council offices,
district centres, libraries etc.
- Advice and guidance -
For example advice on debts and benefits, consumer
advice, affordable housing.
- Media releases
- Media statements and releases.
- Election information
- For example election results, forthcoming elections and voting
procedures.