What rights do I have?

As already mentioned, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives you the right to gain access to information held by us in two ways.

We are already required by the Act to maintain a ‘publication scheme’, which details all the information we publish or intend to publish. From 1 January 2005 you also have the right to request recorded information and we have to comply with the Act when responding.

How many requests can I make?

The Act does not limit the number of requests you can make. However, we do have the right to refuse vexatious or repeated requests, for example, repeated requests from the same person for the same information or requests that are intended to disrupt our work.

What can I do if my request is refused?

There are certain circumstances under which we can refuse to comply with a request – see Can the County Council refuse to supply information? for more details. We will inform you in writing if your request for information is turned down and tell you why your request has been refused.

If you feel our refusal is unjustified, you can complain through Hampshire County Council’s normal complaints procedure. If, after an internal review, you are still not satisfied then you can ask the Information Commissioner to decide whether your request has been dealt with in accordance with the Act. The Information Commissioner may then ask us to provide information relating to our handling of your request. If satisfied that the Act has not been complied with, the Information Commissioner can issue a notice requiring certain steps to be taken.

More information is available on the Information Commissioner’s website or you can write direct to:

FOI Compliance Team (Complaints)
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF