How to make a Freedom of Information request to Suffolk County Council.
To make a request under Freedom of Information legislation, please contact Suffolk County Council Information Management Services in writing. This can be:
Charges
While no charges are made for the submission of requests, the council is entitled to apply reasonable costs for disbursements (i.e photocopying, postage etc).
Where such costs are under £5.00 the council is pleased to make no charge, however, if costs exceed that limit then these additional costs are payable to the council.
Where charges will apply proper notice will be given to you prior to the information being released.
Freedom of Information Requests - Disbursement Charges (PDF 16.4Kb)
Freedom of Information Requests
Suffolk County Council is receiving ever-increasing numbers of requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
From 2005 (when it was introduced) to 2010 the number has risen by 284%.
Actual Numbers
2005 254
2006 367
2007 377
2008 596
2009 622
2010 976
Further information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives the public the right to know what information councils publish and to see copies of that information. The Act says a public authority must produce a list of all its publications, known as a Publication Scheme. It must also include an explanation of how you can get the information and whether there is any charge for it.
From February 2003, you have had the right to request and be given any information included in our Publication Scheme, subject to certain conditions and exclusions that are clearly identified.
From 1 January 2005, when the Act came into force, you can also request information that is not routinely published or included in our Publication Scheme. We must supply this information within 20 working days. If we cannot do this, we will tell you why.
We are working towards being more open and accountable, to make it as easy as possible for you to get information about the council and how it works. The Suffolk County Council disclosure logs lists what requests have been received and information provided. Please contact the Information Management Services for copies of any responses listed.
In addition, our Publication Scheme will help to make sure that more and more of this information is available, without you having to ask for it.
External web sites
Department for Constitutional Affairs - Freedom of Information pages
National Archives - Freedom of Information frequently asked questions