The FOI Act (Freedom of Information) gives you the right to ask a Public Authority like Blackpool Council, for any information that they keep. It gives you more access to information about how the Council works, makes decisions and spends public money.
The FOI Act operates alongside the Data Protection Act, which allows people to access information about themselves (personal information) and the Environmental Information Regulations, which give people access to information about the environment.
Any information held by a public authority is eligible for release. Some information will be published automatically on the Council's website or on paper. Where we publish information on paper this may be available to view at libraries or the Customer First Centre.
Additional information may be available if you submit a request in writing, however, there may be times when an exemption applies.
Absolute Exemptions - if any apply, the request cannot be proceeded with .
The absolute exemptions are:
- Information accessible to you by other means
- Information supplied by or about bodies dealing with security matters
- Court Records
- Parliamentary privilege
- Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs
- Personal information - you already have the right of access to this under the Data Protection Act 1998
- Information provided in confidence
- Prohibitions on disclosing information where it is stopped by an enactment or would mean contempt of court.
Qualifying Exemptions - if any apply, further tests need to be conducted to make sure releasing the information is in the public interest.
The qualifying exemptions are:
- Information intended for future publication
- National security (apart from information supplied by or about named security organisations)
- Defence
- International relations
- Relations within the UK
- The economy
- Investigations and proceedings conducted by public authorities
- Law enforcement
- Audit functions
- Formulation of government policy
- Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs
- Communications with Her Majesty, etc and honours
- Health and safety
- Environmental information
- Personal information
- Legal professional privilege
- Commercial interests
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