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ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCILPUBLICATION SCHEMEClasses of Information which the Isle of Wight Council will or intend to publish The Format in which it is or intended to be published Charges for Material Right of Appeal and Review Rights of internal review Review by the Information Commissioner Purpose and AimThe Freedom of Information Act received Royal assent on 30th November 2000. It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by Public Authorities, sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on Public Authorities. “A Public Authority” is defined in the Act and includes, but is not restricted to Central and Local Government, non-departmental for public bodies, the Police, the Health Service and schools, colleges and universities. After the 1st January 2005 any person who makes a request of a Local Authority for information must be informed where the Local Authority holds that information and subject to exemptions, supplied with that information.Individuals already have the right of access to information about themselves under the Data Protection Act 1998. As far as Public Authorities are concerned, the Freedom of Information Act will extend this right to allow public access to all types of information held. Every Public Authority will be required to adopt and maintain a publication scheme setting out the classes of information it holds, the manner in which it intends to publish the information and whether a charge will be made for the information. The purpose of a scheme is to ensure a significant amount of information is available, without the need for a specific request.Schemes are intended to encourage organisations to publish more information proactively and to develop a greater culture of openness. The Strategic Director of Corporate and Environment Services (currently Mr M J A Fisher) is the person with overall responsibility for the scheme on behalf of the Isle of Wight Council. The Information Officer (TBA) is the person who is individually responsible for maintaining the scheme on a day-to-day basis. Return to top Classes of Information which the Isle of Wight Council will or intend to publishThe Freedom of Information Act requires a Publication Scheme to specify the classes of information that the public authority already publishes or intends to publish. The Publication Scheme is divided into general categories that are easy to understand and allow the user to quickly find the type of information they require.Information can be in the form of printed material such as reports and leaflets, or in a variety of other media, such as links to web sites.It is not necessary to have knowledge of the structure of the Council to navigate the scheme. The Council creates enormous amounts of new information every working day. Notwithstanding the Council’s desire to make more information available, many documents have to go through formal processes before they are approved and published. In other cases public feedback on draft documents may be sought before a final version is produced. It may also simply be impractical to make publicly available all information on a particular subject. The types of information, which are available, have been classed under the headings below at page 1. These reflect common types of information that the Isle of Wight Council routinely makes available and which are now contained in the publication scheme, which should assist the user in identifying the information they require. Return to top The Format in which it is or intended to be publishedThe Council recognises that in order to make its publication scheme as widely available as possible it should provide for access both on line and in paper format. The Council’s publication scheme as well as being available on-line it is also available as a paper document on request. Those who do not have their own access to the web site can view the publication scheme at the following offices:
Where access is gained via the Internet the Council has linked as many documents as possible to allow for direct access to the documents thereby minimising the cost to the end user. It is unfortunately impractical at present to provide a link to every document on line. The Local Authority will make available a hard copy of the publication scheme on receipt of written request to Customer Services, County Hall, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1UD at no charge. Return to top Charges for MaterialWhereas on line documents are provided free, a charge may be levied on paper copies supplied unless this information is available in a leaflet or booklet format in which case they will be free from the office stated.If the information is available free to view then again you should go to the office stated. Please note that any free to view document may attract a charge if copies are required on the council’s standard scale.A charge may be made to cover the cost of providing information in the particular manner requested in the application. Glossy or other bound paper copies, or in some cases CD ROM’s, video or other mediums, will attract an additional charge to cover the cost of the format requested. No charges may apply in respect of the time spent by the Council in considering requests.Should the Council levy a charge, payment will be required in advance before any work commences on making the information available. The fees chargeable for photocopies of material where needed under the scheme are:
Some information will incur a higher cost, e.g. Land Charges Search, for the supply of the requested information. Unless otherwise indicated on the scheme the above fees will apply. Charges may be waived at the Isle of Wight Council’s discretion, where the cost of collecting and accounting for the fee would exceed the amount of the fee. The Council does not charge a fee for a copy of the Publication scheme itself on written request. Copies can be obtained from Customer Services, County Hall, Newport, Isle of Wight, P030 1UD. Return to top Right of Appeal and ReviewThe Act sets out a series of exemptions to protect confidential or other information where disclosure may prejudice the interests of the State or of third parties. Where the Council invokes these provisions to withhold information, that decision is subject to a review process. Decisions about deferral of access to information, the way in which access is given or the level of fees or charges, are also subject to review. The two review processes are set out below.Return to top Rights of internal reviewIf you are dissatisfied with the response from the Council you may seek an internal review of that decision. A senior Council official who has not previously been involved with your request will undertake the review. If you have not received a response from the Council within 20 working days of receipt of your initial application, it is likely to be regarded by the Information Commissioner as amounting to a refusal of your request and allows you to proceed to internal review. Requests for internal review should be submitted in writing to the Strategic Director of Corporate and Environment Services, Isle of Wight Council, County Hall, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1UD. An internal review must normally be completed before an appeal may be made to the Information Commissioner.Return to top Review by the Information CommissionerIf you are dissatisfied with the outcome or the handling, of the internal review conducted by the Council, you may seek an independent review from the Information Commissioner.Requests for a review by the Information Commissioner should be made in writing directly to: The Information Commissioner Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
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