Freedom of Information (FOI)
Coronavirus: The Council will endeavour to meet statutory response times for Freedom of Information requests. Due to the need to prioritise resources in response to COVID-19 this is not always possible.
What is the Freedom of Information Act 2000?
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) provides for a general right of access to information held by public authorities or by those providing services to public authorities.
Subject to a range of exemptions, the FOIA imposes obligations on such authorities to disclose information.
The right of access provisions came into force on 1 January 2005.
The FOIA is intended to increase the openness and transparency of the public sector, transforming the default setting from "this should be kept quiet unless" to "this should be published unless". It is hoped that this, in turn, will enable members of the public to better understand public authorities' decisions and ensure that services provided by the public sector are seen to be efficiently and properly delivered and raise public confidence in the processes of government.
Publication Scheme
The FOIA requires each public authority to adopt a publication scheme. Download Ribble Valley Borough Council's publication scheme.