The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives access to information held by Runnymede Borough Council subject to a limited number of exemptions. Runnymede has adopted a Publication Scheme, the Information Commissioner approved.

Publication Scheme (pdf document)

Request for Information form (pdf document)

foi@runnymede.gov.uk

Overview

The Council already makes a lot of information available to its residents. You can get information on our website, and we produce leaflets and other publications. We want you to have access to all the information your need in order that you can become involved in our work. If you can't find the information you need in the publication scheme then you can make a Freedom of Information request to ask that we make it available to you. We have 20 working days to provide the information once we have received your request.

• There may be a charge for providing the information. This will reflect the cost of providing the information. It will be calculated as described in the published ‘Fees Regulations’ as issued by the Ministry of Justice.

• We will make all reasonable efforts to find the information you want but may ask you to give us more details if your original request does not help us to find exactly what you want.

• Any later requests you make may attract additional fees so please be careful to request all the information you require.

• We reserve the right not to provide information in cases where an exemption may apply, but will advise you of the details if this is the case.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information can I ask for?

• You can ask for any information relating to the Council, however, your right to ask for information only relates to information held by us at the time that you make your request

Information may be in any form:

Printout;

Computerised records;

Maps;

Plans;

Microfilm;

Audio-visual material;

Paper etc.

Freedom of Information provides a right to access information rather than to records or documents. Although you are not required to ask for any particular document, you must describe the information you are requesting in as much detail as possible.

We publish a wide range of information – check our Publication Scheme, to find out whether the information you are asking for has already been published or if there are plans to do so.

Do I need to give a reason to see the information?

• No, you do not have to tell us why you want to see any information

When must the Council provide me with the information I have asked for?

• We will respond as quickly as we can. We must respond within twenty working days of the date we receive your request, or if charges are applicable, once the appropriate fee has been received.

Can I ask for personal information about myself?

A request for personal information about yourself must be made under the Data Protection Act 1998.

What happens if I need help to put my request in writing?

• If you are unable to put your request in writing, you can ask another person to make the request on your behalf.

Are there limits to the information I can ask for?

• It is our aim to ensure that information should be made available unless it is clearly not in the public interest to do so. However, some categories of Council information may be covered by exemption under the Act. Confidentiality is sometimes necessary to ensure the effectiveness of our decision-making and to protect commercial interests, as well as information provided in confidence, personal information and other important interests.

How do I describe the information I am asking for?

• You should give as much information as you can, so that we can identify and locate the information that you want. If you don't give us enough information for us to identify or locate the information, or if the request is unclear, we will try to help you to describe it more clearly. We aim to clarify the sort of information you want, not to find out why you are asking for the information. Where information is likely to be refused on cost grounds, we will give you an indication of what information could be provided within the costs ceiling.

What happens if the Council does not hold the information?

• We may not hold the information you are asking for. It may have been destroyed in accordance with our data retention policies or another public body may hold the information. In such cases, you will be told we do not hold the information. If we believe another public body holds the information and that it would be appropriate to transfer your request to them, then we will do this and write to you to tell you. We may suggest that you apply to the public body directly, if this is the case we will provide you with their contact details where possible.

Can the Council charge a fee?

• Yes, charges may apply if a large volume of printed material is required. You will be told about any photocopying charges at the time of your request.

How do I receive the information I have asked for?

• You are entitled to say how you wish the information to be given to you. This may be by letter, e-mail or by inspection at the Civic Centre on a date and time to be mutually agreed. It may not always be possible for us to comply with your wishes. As an example there may be times where a document contains some information suitable for release under the Act, but also some information covered by another Act or exemption that prevents us from giving it to you. Therefore inspection of the original document may not be possible. If that is the case we will advise you of this.

Can the Council refuse my request for information?

• Yes, repeated requests and/or applications made with the aim of frustrating the operations of the Council might be refused. We may also refuse to comply with a request for information where we estimate that the cost would exceed the cost ceiling set by the Fees Regulations. We may also refuse to comply with the request where the information is considered to be exempt under the FOI Act. Should this be the case, then you will be given an explanation of the reasons for us refusing the request.

Can I appeal against the Council's decision to refuse my request for information?

• Yes, if you are not satisfied with the decision you may apply to the Information Commissioner for an independent review at the following address:

The Information Commissioner
Wyncliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone number: 01625 545745

Web address: www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk