Freedom of Information
The public has a general right of access to all types of
recorded information held by public authorities, including the
council. Freedom of Information is part of a
wider group of national policies which have the aim of modernising
government and showing people how it is working on their
behalf.
When a person requests a piece of information, the council has
a duty to disclose that information, if it holds it, and it is
not subject to any legally defined exemptions.
Knowsley Council has published a publication scheme which
shows what information can already be accessed. Any information
which is not part of the Publication Scheme can be requested under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
How to request information
All requests must be in writing or email to the Freedom of
Information Officer. You must state that your request is
being made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Your request
must include a contact name, an address for correspondence and
state clearly what information is required.
After receiving your request, the council:
- Will reply to you within 20 working days and tell you who is
dealing with your request.
- Will provide you with advice and assistance should you need
it.
- We will not charge fees initially. If the information
costs more than a certain amount to collect the council may not be
able to provide it.
- We do not need to release the information if an exemption
applies. The council will give you details of the exemptions relied
on. Some of the exemptions will take the council longer than 20
days to look at so we will give an estimate of when a decision will
be made.