The FOIA applies only to federal agencies . It does not apply to records held by Congress, the courts, or by state or local government agencies. Each state has its own public access laws that should be consulted for access to state and local records.
What type of Organisation does the Freedom of Information Act apply to?
Which organisations are covered by the Freedom of Information Act? The Act covers central government departments and the executive agencies and public bodies they sponsor . It also covers parliament, the armed forces, devolved administrations, local authorities, the NHS, schools, universities and police forces.
Who does the Freedom of Information Act not apply to?
The FOIA does not apply to the Congress , the courts, or the central offices of the White House, nor does it apply to records in the custody of state or local governments. However, all state governments have their own FOIA-type statutes.
Does the Freedom of Information Act apply to companies?
Private companies are not covered by the Freedom of Information Act. Broadly only organisations considered public authorities are covered by the law. This means FOI requests cannot be made to businesses and private companies generally.
Does the UK Freedom of Information Act apply to your Organisation?
Public authorities include government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and police forces. However, the Act does not necessarily cover every organisation that receives public money .
What type of documents are not allowed in the Freedom of Information Act?
Information/data that is NOT covered by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) includes: Non-agency records and personal records . Public requests for access to physical artifacts or scientific samples (e.g. core samples, sediment, rocks, fossils, specimen samples, blood samples).
Who is subject to a Freedom of Information request?
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives you the right to ask any public sector organisation for all the recorded information they have on any subject. The Data Protection Act 1998 gives any individual (data subject) the right to request access to all the information held about them. This is a Subject Access Request.
What is included in Freedom of Information Act?
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides public access to all federal agency records except for those records (or portions of those records) that are protected from disclosure by any of nine exemptions or three exclusions (reasons for which an agency may withhold records from a requester).
What can you ask for in a FOIA request?
A FOIA request can be made for any agency record . You can also specify the format in which you wish to receive the records (for example, printed or electronic form). The FOIA does not require agencies to create new records or to conduct research, analyze data, or answer questions when responding to requests.
What can you ask for under the Freedom of Information Act?
Under the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations you have a right to request any recorded information held by a public authority , such as a government department, local council or state school. ... You can ask for any information you think a public authority may hold.
What are the disadvantages of freedom of information?
Disadvantages of Freedom of Information Act
The main one is the threat to national security , which can be internal or external. Certain information could be used to incite strong public disturbance and riots which could possibly destabilize the government.
Are banks subject to the Freedom of Information Act?
For example, bank examination reports and related examiner work papers are exempt from disclosure under the FOIA.
What does the Freedom of Information act not cover?
The FOI Act does not cover documents that are otherwise accessible to the public. This includes: documents available for access under the Archives Act 1983. documents open to public access subject to a fee or charge.
What are the nine exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act UK?
| Section of the FOI Act Exemption | S(2) 36 Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs | S(2) 38 Health & Safety | S(2) 39 Environmental information | S(2) 40 Personal information relating to a third party |
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How long do you have to answer a Freedom of Information request?
You normally have 20 working days to respond to a request. For a request to be valid under the Freedom of Information Act it must be in writing, but requesters do not have to mention the Act or direct their request to a designated member of staff.
Why would a FOIA be denied?
If the Bureau or Office that is the custodian of the records determines that there are no records responsive to your request , or that one or more of the FOIA exemptions described above applies to the documents you request, your request will be denied in writing.
