Freedom of information act - frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of the act

The purpose of the Act is to promote greater openness by public bodies (ie government sector and other public sector authorities). Individuals already have the right to access to information about themselves under the Data Protection Act 1998. As far as public authorities are concerned, the Freedom of Information Act will extend this right to allow public access to all types of information held. Under section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Bristol City Council is expected to publish a "publication scheme".

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What is the publication scheme

This is a complete guide to the information routinely published by Bristol City Council. It is not a list of the actual publications, since this will change as other things are published. Rather it is a description of the Categories or types of information published. A full list of publications currently available under each heading in the scheme will be available shortly. However, all the documents can be found by performing a search on this website.

We have set out the classes of information under 13 broad headings. The headings are:

Category 1 Benefits and Advice
Category 2 Business
Category 3 Community, People and Living
Category 4 Council and Democracy
Category 5 Education and Lifelong Learning
Category 6 Emergencies
Category 7 Environment
Category 8 Health and Social Care
Category 9 Housing
Category 10 Jobs and Careers
Category 11 Leisure and Culture
Category 12 News
Category 13 Transport and Streets

The Categories are based on the Government Class List (produced by the Office of the eEnvoy), which a number of Public Authorities are using. They are designed to categorise documents in order to make it easy to find the information you need.

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How is the information published?

Generally the publications can be downloaded from our website. Hard copy and other formats can be obtained from the addresses below. The exceptions are noted in the descriptions of the different Categories of information in Section B.

The City Council is committed to ensuring equality of access to its information. All information will be made available in a format or language appropriate to meet the needs of each individual where possible, at no additional cost to the person making the request. Please select Translations from the left hand side bar for further details.

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Is any information not included under the provisions of the Act?

Some information is classified as exempt from the requirements of the Act and does not appear in the Scheme. The exemptions are:

Absolute Exemptions

• Information is reasonably accessible already
• Court records
• Parliamentary privilege (where information is required for the purpose of avoiding an infringement of the privileges of either House of Parliament)
• Information likely to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs
• Personal information
• Information provided in confidence
• Prohibitions on disclosure (ie may constitute a contempt of Court)

Other exemptions

These are subject to a Public Interest Test. Information must be released unless the public interest in withholding it is greater than the public interest in releasing it.

• Information that is likely to be publicly available in the future
• National security and defence risks
• UK or international relations
• Information that may prejudice the Economy
• Investigations carried out by Public Authorities
• Information that may prejudice Law enforcement,
• Information that may prejudice audits,
• Information relating to Government policy-making,
• Information relating to public affairs, communications with Her Majesty
• Information relating to health & safety,
• Information relating to environmental issues,
• Information relating to the legal profession
• Information relating to commercial issues. Generally, only the latest versions of documents will initially be available under the Scheme.

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Will other people be able to see personal information about me?

A great deal of the information that we hold is personal and private to individuals. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not make such information available to the public. All of the Categories within our Scheme exclude the publication of personal information. Individuals who require access to personal data about themselves, held by Bristol City Council under the Data Protection Act 1998, should make the request in writing to the Data protection Officer.

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How can I obtain the information included within the Scheme

The Scheme will be made available on our website and at all our main offices and libraries. The information referred to in the Scheme can be seen at our main offices or on the Council's website. The Scheme and the information to which it refers are available in English. If you require the information in another language or require large print or otherwise require particular assistance, you are invited to contact the Data Protection Officer.

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Is there a charge for the Council supplying the information

Although you may be able to inspect documents containing the information that you have requested for free, there may be a small charge for providing you with a copy of the document or for providing a photocopy of the document. The amount that we may charge can vary depending upon the type and volume of information requested. In general, information obtained via the website or email will be free of charge.

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What if the information I what is not listed?

It is important therefore that the scheme meets your needs. We welcome suggestions for additional Categories of information that could be included. We also welcome suggestions as to how the publications themselves might be improved. Any questions, comments or complaints about this scheme should be sent in writing to the Data Protection Officer. In any event, the Scheme will be reviewed annually.

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