Freedom of information - advice

From 1 January 2005 you have new rights under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Those rights include access to a huge amount of information held by around 70,000 organisations, including local councils like ours.

Councils now have approved plans for publishing all their information. Our publication scheme has been approved by the Information Commissioner and will remain in force until 28 February 2007, when it will be revised and re-submitted to the Government.

Part 1: Preamble:

About Rochdale Council

Rochdale Council is committed to the freedom of information, in promoting a shared understanding of the work we undertake within the Council, and with our partners. Through this publication scheme we aim to provide clear and timely information about the way we make and carry out our decisions. We will deal with individual requests for information by providing clear advice and assistance courteously, promptly and effectively.

Rochdale is the second largest of the ten metropolitan boroughs that make up Greater Manchester. It covers 62 square miles and has a population of more than 200,000. Local government services for the whole area are provided by Rochdale Council. These include education, housing (through an arms length management company), social services, planning, highways, and environmental services.

The Council would like the public to become more involved in local government enabling us to become more responsive to the needs of the people who live and work in the borough. The introduction of the Freedom of Information Act is seen as a welcome opportunity both to inform the public it serves, and to improve the way in which it manages the vast amounts of information it holds. The Freedom of Information Act provides an opportunity to make one of Rochdale Council's most important assets, information, more widely available enabling the public to know and understand the work of the Council through improved access to information.

What is freedom of information?

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies to the Council, as it does to all other public authorities. The Act gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by the Council. It sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on the Council.

Since February 2003, the Council has been required to adopt and maintain a publication scheme setting out:

• Classes of information that the Council publishes or intends to publish
• The manner in which the information in each class is or is intended to be published
• Whether the material is or is intended to be published free of charge or on payment

From January 2005, any person who makes a request for information to the Council must be informed whether the Council holds that information and supplied with that information (subject to exemptions, information on which is given below).

What is a publication scheme?

A publication scheme is a guide to the information that the Council publishes or intends to publish in the future, whether on paper, over the internet or by any other means.

In order to help you find the information you need, the information which the Council publishes, or intends to publish, through this Scheme is divided into a number of ‘classes.' Behind each class of information there will be a number of documents - for example leaflets, guides, plans, and so on - and these will be continually updated. In order to help you find a specific document, a searchable A-Z is being developed, and the web version of the Publication Scheme contains links to the relevant information where available. You can also contact the Freedom of Information Officer.

These classes are grouped into the following categories, reflecting the various services we provide and the different kinds of work we do. You can trace the information you are looking for from these categories, which are divided into sub-categories, and then into classes, which describe in more detail what is available in the scheme.

These are the categories of information covered by this Scheme:

• Art, Leisure, Tourism and Heritage
• Community, People and Living
• Corporate Publications and News
• Council and Democracy
• Council Finances
• Council Tax, Benefits, Debts and Grants
• Customer Services, Advice and Complaints
• Education and Training
• Environment Health
• Environmental Management, Green Space and Parks
• Health, Welfare and Social Care
• Housing
• Jobs and Careers
• Libraries
• Planning, Regulation and Enforcement
• Policies, Strategies and Management Information
• Regeneration, Business and Partnerships
• Trading Standards, Shopping and Consumer Advice
• Transport and Streets

How will I request the information?

Help to find information will be available by visiting one of our Customer Service Centres or contact the Freedom of Information Officer.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, you do not need to have any particular reason for requesting information, but it might help the Council to identify and provide you with the information you need if you can be as specific as possible.

You will be able to use information provided under the Act for any purpose, and pass it on to any one else.

Will there be a charge for this information?

There will normally be no charge for making a request for information that is available in the publication scheme.

Information published on this web site can be viewed / downloaded free of charge. Most documents are also available for inspection free of charge at libraries or Council offices.

You may get photocopies of most documents. However, charges may be applied if significant amounts of work or copying of printed material is required.

There may be a charge for a small number of specific documents. If a charge is applicable this will be indicated in the publication scheme under each class of information. The price of the document will be specified at the time of the request.

From 1 January 2005 you may request information which is not contained in the scheme (see below) and this will be charged in accordance with the regulation fees under the Freedom of Information Act.

How will the information be provided?

Information will if possible be provided in a variety of formats - for example Braille, audio, different languages - upon request. You can express your preference for the information to be provided to you in a particular way, which can be:

• A copy in permanent form, or other form acceptable to you or
• Provision of a reasonable opportunity to inspect a record containing the information or
• Provision of a digest or summary

Can I see all Rochdale Council's information?

The Council is committed to including as much information in the publication scheme as it can. If you have searched the publication scheme and cannot find what you are looking for, you can make a request for the information.

However, where some of the information comes within an "exempt" category under the Freedom of Information Act or other relevant legislation, it will be published with the exempt material deleted. Information containing exempt material has been identified with a double asterisk (**) in this publication scheme.

Exemptions in the Act can be absolute or qualified. Absolute exemption means that the exempt information will not normally be made available to you at all. Qualified exemption means that the information will be made available to you, unless the public interest in not disclosing it outweighs the public interest in disclosure. This means that the Council will have to consider and decide where the public interest is greater.

Some of the absolute exemptions include information that is or relates to:

• Accessible by other means (including information included in this Scheme)
• National security
• Court records
• Personal data (which is protected under the Data Protection Act)
• Prohibited from disclosure by law

Qualified exemptions include information that is or relates to:

• Investigations and proceedings
• Law enforcement
• Health and safety
• Commercially confidential

The classes most likely to include this kind of excluded material are:

• Consultation documents
• Contacts
• Directories and registers
• Historical records
• Minutes
• Organisations and structure
• Performance information
• Procedures and Working Practices
• Project documents
• Property management information
• Reports
• Research

Part 2 - Definition of terms

In order to manage the huge amount of information held by the Council, documents have been categorised into the following classes or types:

Adverts and announcements

Information that the Council publishes directly in the press or in other public venues.

Advice and guidance

Guidance notes prepared for staff and/or the public on a wide variety of subjects.

Agendas

Lists of subjects to be considered at Council meetings.

Application forms

Forms submitted to the Council.

By-laws

Copies of current bylaws and orders made by the Council.

Catalogues

Inventories of collections held by the Council.

Codes of practice

Documented directions that instruct and guide officers and members of the Council how to pursue their duties.

Consultation documents

Information relating to the views of local people on Council services and plans.

Contacts

Names, addresses, and telephone numbers.

Census data

Statistical information based on the latest census conducted by the National Statistics Office.

Directories and registers

Lists of individuals, businesses, organisations, services and property held by the Council.

Educational and campaign material

Documents that highlight or explain specific issues or problems.

Factfiles

Collections of previously published facts and figures brought together for a particular subject or event.

Fees and charges

List of the Council's fees and charges for services as they are published.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

List of most common questions to the Council and their corresponding answers.

Historical records

Archived information about people, places and events in the Borough.

Job details

Details of all jobs within the Council that are currently vacant together with a job recruitment pack comprising the job advertisement, terms and conditions of employment, job description, person specification, general information for applicants, further particulars about the service in which the post is located and an application form.

Maps

Geographical plans of the Borough.

Minutes

Records of decisions made at Council meetings.

Organisations and structure

Documents showing how services and decision-making bodies are organised.

Performance information

Information about management and planning, targets, performance, and inspections as it is published.

Policies and strategies

The policy framework of the Council, as defined in the Council's Constitution, together with all other policies, plans and strategies as the Council may, from time to time, be required by statute or Government Direction to adopt or which the Council itself decides to adopt and publish.

Press releases and newsletters

News and events information intended for staff and/or the public.

Procedures and working Practices

Documented steps that specify how officers should carry out their work

Project documents

Information relating to specific projects

Publicity and promotional material

Information on special events and projects organised by the Council.

Reports

Background papers for Council meetings.

Research

Studies of specific subjects.

Rules and regulations

Enforceable orders or directions which specify how officers, members of the Council and/or the public should act.

Service guides

Descriptions of Council services.

Statutory documents

Information which the Council has a legal obligation to publish.

Terms of reference

Information about the scope and remit of Council committees.