Freedom of Information Act

Under the Freedom of Information Act you have a right to request any recorded information held by a public authority, such as a government department, local council or state school. Environmental information requests can also be made to certain non-public bodies carrying out a public function. The aim of the Freedom of Information Act is to make information available to the general public. You can only obtain information that would be given to anybody who asked for it, or would be suitable for the general public to see. If your request is for information about yourself, such as your medical records, you should make a subject access request under the Data Protection Act.