Step 3 - Check what material may be exempted

 

There are 23 exemption categories listed under the FOI Act 2000 and which we may apply to information that you have requested.  If we are applying an exemption to the information requested or to part of it we will explain our reasons to you.  Should you disagree with our view you can complain to us as outlined above and if you are not satisfied with our response then you may complain to the Information Commissioner.

 

 

An applicant wishing to access information about themselves should use their rights under the Data Protection Act (DPA).

 

Personal data about other people cannot be released if to do so would breach the DPA.  If the applicant already has reasonable access to the information they want then they should use that means.  Some of the exemptions require the public authority to consider whether it is in public interest to withhold information. Consideration of the public interest may take longer than the 20 days normally allowed for responding to requests. In these cases the public authority must give the applicant an estimate of when it will have the decision on where public interest lies within 20 days of receiving the request.

 

For a full list of the exemptions which can be applied under Freedom of Information please visit the Exemptions page of this section of the website.