Freedom Of Information (FOI)

What is FOI?

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 aims to develop a culture of openness in Government and public bodies. The Act establishes a right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities and imposes obligations on them to disclose information, subject to a range of exemptions. Dorset Road Safe is a public body under the terms of the Act. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives two related rights;

the right to be told whether the information exists, and
the right to receive the information (subject to exemptions)

The FOI Act can not be used as a campaign of harassment or disruption by an individual or group against a public authority.

Any member of the public can present questions in writing to the Dorset Road Safe FOI Manager as long as they supply their; full name, contact address (either postal, email or fax number) for responses..

We can only answer questions that would be expected to have an identifiable answer and not require opinion, speculation etc…

The Freedom Of Information (FOI) Act 2000 allows Dorset Road Safe 20 working days (not counting public holidays) to respond to a request for information, however extensions to the response time may be necessary for complex requests. The requestor would be notified if this was the case.

FOI Questions

How do I request information?

All requests must be made in writing to the FOI Manager at Dorset Road Safe. You can contact us by email, via the FOI online form or by postal address by clicking Contact FOI

What information will you supply?

If Dorset Road Safe holds the information requested, we will provide it. If we do not hold the information we will do our best to assist by advising you which agency may hold it. In some cases you will be directed to where the answer is published. Our website holds many answers to the questions we often get asked, so it is worth having a look through our website first to see if your question can be answered. In some cases we get asked questions which are exempt under The Freedom Of Information Act. The following are examples of such exemptions;

Any question relating to live traffic offences
We will withhold personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998
Where data will be published in due course i.e. Public Accounts which can only be released after the Audit is complete and not before
Where the request is deemed as vexatious i.e. a repeated, obsessive request or requested as part of a campaign of harassment or disruption etc.

What is the Publication Scheme?

The purpose of the publication scheme is to ensure that the maximum amount of information is available to members of the public without the need to make a specific request. The Publication Scheme contains information documents which are released inline with the requirements under The Freedom Of Information Act 2000.

Do I have to pay for information I request?

Most information will be made available free of charge, however if the answer to a question/s is likely to take more than 18 working hours to complete, a fee may be chargeable. If a fee does apply in relation to a request, we will inform you in writing and release the information following receipt of payment.

Can I appeal if I am told it is exempt or I am not happy with the response I receive?

The requestor can appeal against the use of exemptions firstly with the public authority and ultimately with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) if they are still unhappy after the appeal findings.