What is Freedom of Information?

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives the public the right of access to all recorded information held by all public authorities.  Subject to certain exemptions, any person who makes a request to the University for information, must be informed, within 20 days whether the University holds that information and if so that information must be supplied (subject to any exemptions).

The Freedom of Information Act complements the Data Protection Act 1998, which gives individuals access to personal information held about them by the University.

The University may decide that some information it holds could be regarded as exempt information under the Act. Where a request is made for information which includes exemptions the University will consider:

a) The prejudice test: Some exemptions can only be claimed if the release of information would or would be likely to prejudice the purpose to which the exemption relates, and

b) The public interest test: Does the public interest in maintaining the exemption in question outweigh the public interest in disclosing the information to the requestor?

There are 23 exemptions under the Act, some exemptions where the public interest test applies, and others which are absolute exemptions. The full list of exemptions can be found here.

Further guidance on the Freedom of Information Act 2000 can be found on the Information Commissioner's webpages. Click here .