FOI Publication Scheme

What is a Publication Scheme?

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) requires us to adopt a publication scheme. This sets out classes of information that we are required to make available; how this information is published and whether the material is available free of charge or on payment. Anyone may access information from this publication scheme.

The Information Commissioner issued a model publication scheme, which we adopted.

This scheme contains seven classes of information:

1.  Who we are and what we do
2.  What we spend and how we spend it
3.  What our priorities are and how we are doing
4.  How we make decisions
5.  Our policies and procedures
6.  Lists and registers

7.  The service we offer

The classes of information will not generally include:

• Information the disclosure of which is prevented by law, or exempt under the Freedom of Information Act, or is otherwise properly considered to be protected from disclosure
• Information in draft form
• Information that is no longer readily available as it is contained in files that have been placed in archive storage, or is difficult to access for similar reasons

By adopting the Information Commissioner's model scheme, the University is committed to the following:

• Proactively publishing information (including environmental information we hold and contained within each class)
• Providing a means by which the University can ensure the public is aware of the sorts of information we have committed to making readily available, how they can access this information and whether they will have to pay for it
• Reviewing and updating the information on a regular basis

The act states that a publication scheme should be reviewed from time to time. We will regularly check our scheme for outdated information and review the operation of the scheme annually.

The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 brought in changes to FOIA to include datasets. The changes stated how the information could be released rather than what was released. The introduction of datasets doesn't change what information is available under the act.

Need advice?

For more information or advice regarding FOIA  or EIR requests, please contact our FOI team at foi@derby.ac.uk.