Guidance index: freedom of information, environmental information

Here you can view a full index of freedom of information and environmental information guidance for organisations.

Advice and assistance

• Good practice in providing advice and assistance
• EIR advice and assistance FAQs 

Codes of practice

• Advice on using the procedural codes of practice 
• Environmental Information Regulations code of practice

Confirm or deny

• Duty to confirm or deny

Costs and fees

• Charging a fee 
• Charging for environmental information 
• Using the Fees Regulations

Deceased people

• Access to information about the deceased

Destroying information

• Destruction of requested information

Environmental information - general

• What is environmental information?

Exceptions - environmental

• An introduction to the EIR exceptions

Exemptions – freedom of information

• Section 21: information reasonably accessible to the applicant by other means 
• Section 22: information intended for future publication 
• Section 23: information supplied by or relating to security bodies 
• Section 24: the national security exemption 
• Section 26: defence  
• Section 27: international relations 
• Section 28: relations within the UK 
• Section 29: the economy 
• Section 30: investigations 
• Section 31: law enforcement 
• Section 32: information contained in court records 
• Section 32: information contained in court transcripts 
• Section 33: public audit 
• Section 35: policy formulation, ministerial communications, law officers' advice, and the operation of ministerial private office 
• Section 36: effective conduct of public affairs 
• Section 36: what should be recorded when considering the exemption? 
• Section 37: communications with Her Majesty and the awarding of honours 
• Section 38: health and safety
• Section 40: personal information 
• Section 40: applying the exemption for third party personal data 
• Section 40: circumstances where the names of individuals may be disclosed 
• Section 40: when should salaries be disclosed? 
• Section 40: access to information about public authorities’ employees 
• Section 40: complaints and investigations files – how to approach them 
• Section 41: information provided in confidence 
• Section 41: information provided in confidence relating to contracts 
• Section 41: the duty of confidence and the public interest 
• Section 42: legal professional privilege 
• Section 43: commercial interest 
• Section 43: commercial detriment of third parties 
• Section 43: public sector contracts 
• Section 44: Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and Freedom of Information Act 2000 
• Section 44: The Enterprise Act 2002 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 
• Section 44: prohibitions on disclosure

Freedom of information - general

• Freedom of information tips for communications professionals 
• Taking a positive approach to information rights

Higher education

• Freedom of information legislation and research information: guidance for the higher education sector

Holding information

• Information held on behalf of another 
• Information produced or received by councillors 
• When is information caught by the FOI Act?

Internal reviews

• Codes of Practice – internal reviews 
• Time limits on carrying out internal reviews following requests for information

Minutes and agendas

• What should be published: minutes and agendas

MPs' correspondence

• Guidance on dealing with requests for MPs' correspondence relating to constituents

Parish, town and community councils

• Basic guide on compliance for first tier councils

Prejudice and adversely affect

• Prejudice and adversely affect

Property searches

• Environmental Information Regulations guidance - property searches

Public interest test

• The public interest test 
• Time constraints on considering the public interest

Publication schemes

• Definition documents and template guides to information
• EIR proactive dissemination 
• Model publication scheme for bodies only covered for certain information 
• Model publication scheme: using the definition documents

Publicly owned companies

• Publicly owned companies and the Freedom of Information Act

Records management

• Records management FAQs

Redaction

• Justifying redaction

Refusing a request

• Refusing a request
• Writing a refusal notice 

Request handling

• Access to information held in complaint files 
• Consideration of requests without reference to the identity of the applicant or the reasons for the request 
• Do I have to create information to answer a request 
• EIR flowchart to request information 
• Guidance on circular (or round robin) requests 
• Hints for practitioners handling FOI and EIR requests 
• Interpreting a request 
• Lifecycle of a request 
• Means of communications 
• Valid request - name and address for correspondence 
• Verbal request log sheet for environmental information

Third party reports

• Reports provided by third parties

Time for compliance

• Time for compliance 
• EIR time for compliance FAQs

Vexatious or repeated requests

• Vexatious or repeated requests 
• Vexatious requests - a short guide