One of the aims of the FOI Act is that public authorities should be clear and proactive about the information they make available to the public. The FoIA is intended to encourage organisations to make more information available to the public and to develop a greater culture of transparency and openness.
In 2005 Carlisle City Council responded to around 150 FOI requests. All of these were completed within the legislative timescale. The link below will open a document which details the requests received in 2005, and where appropriate any exemptions used.
FOI requests received to date for the current year - since 1st January 2008.
The provisions of the FoIA relating to general requests for information come into full force on the 1st January 2005 when applicants will be able to exercise their full right of access to the ALL the information Carlisle City Council holds. If you have searched the Publication Scheme and can not find what you are looking for, you can make a written request for the information.
If you require information about yourself, held by Carlisle City Council, this is dealt with under the Data Protection Act.
On 1 July 2005 the Re-use of Public Sector Information (PSI) Regulations 2005 SI 2005 No. 1515 came into force. This provides a framework for decisions by the Council on requests from people to apply to re-use information held by the Council.
Here is a list of applications already approved or declined by Carlisle City Council.
'Re-use' means using the information for a purpose other than the purpose for which the document was originally produced. This could include a commercial purpose. For more information on how the Council deals with requests to re-use information, click here.
Anyone will be able to make a request for information, although the request must be in a permanent form, the Council has developed a Downloadable Information Request Form to assist you with your request. You may also use our online version of this form Online form.
The FoIA gives applicants two related rights:
Carlisle City Council will have to respond to requests within 20 working days and we may charge a fee, which will be calculated according to Fees Regulations. If a fee is required it must be paid in advance and if the fee is not paid within three months then the request for information will lapse.
Any person who makes a request to the Council for information must be informed whether the Council holds that information and, subject to a number of exemptions, should be supplied with that information. In cases where information is covered by an exemption, the Council is required to consider if the public interest in maintaining the exemption in question outweighs the public interest in disclosure. The information available will be fully retrospective.
Central to the FoIA, Section 19(2) sets out the requirements for a publication scheme. A publication scheme must specify:
Section 19(3) states that "in adopting or reviewing a publication scheme, a public authority shall have regard to the public interest in allowing public access to information held by the authority and in the publication of reasons for decisions made by the public authority".
Carlisle City Council has developed a publication scheme, which has been approved by the Information Commissioner. This document will be reviewed from time to time, and any updated versions will be available here. The last time this document was updated was 3rd February 2003.
This document is also available in hard copy from the Council's main offices at the Civic Centre, Carlisle.
Carlisle City Council aims to provide its customers with the information they request. However, sometimes the information will be withheld if it is deemed to be exempt under the FOI Act to protect confidential or other information where disclosure may not be in the public interest.
How do I appeal about the Council's failure to disclose?
We will try to resolve your complaint about the Council's decision to withhold information informally, espeacially appeals that information which should have been provided and was not provided.
If you wish to complain more formally, then you should use the Council's formal complaint route and the matter will be dealt with as a Corporate Complaint.
If you are still dissatisfied you may wish to request an independent review from the Information Commissioner. Requests for a review by the Information Commissioner should be made in writing directly to:
The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545 700
Fax: 01625 545 510
(It should be noted the IC would, under normal circumstances, only review a decision if all Council procedures have been exhausted)
We welcome comments and suggestions on how we can improve the scheme, as it is important that the scheme meets your needs.
Your comments on the following questions would help us to develop the scheme and make us more open in how we work.
Please send your feedback or complete the Online form.
For more information please contact:
The Council's Information Officer
Telephone: 01228 817000
Fax: 01228 817009
E-mail: information@carlisle.gov.uk
Information Officer
Carlisle City Council
Civic Centre
Rickergate
Carlisle
CA3 8QG
Some detailed guidance is currently available on the Department for Constitutional Affairs web site at http://www.foi.gov.uk/guidance/index.htm
and the Information Commissioner's web site at http://www.ico.gov.uk/eventual.aspx?id=33
Page last updated - 31 March 2008
