FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

INTRODUCTION

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, it is the duty of every Public Authority to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme.  The purpose of this is to grant members of the public rights of access to the information held.  Information about the Act is available from the Information Commissioner's Office at www.ico.gov.uk.

WEXHAM COURT PARISH COUNCIL'S FREEDOM OF INFORMATION PUBLICATION SCHEME

The Parish Council is responsible for maintenance of this scheme, which was approved by Full Council on 10^th February 2009.

1.       Introduction: what a publication scheme is and why it has been developed

This publication scheme commits Wexham Court Parish Council to make information available to the public as part of its normal business activities. The information covered is included in the classes of information mentioned below, where this information is held by Wexham Court Parish Council.

The scheme commits Wexham Court Parish Council:

·                To proactively publish or otherwise make available as a matter of routine, information, including environmental information, which is held by Wexham Court Parish Council and falls within the classifications below.

·                To specify the information which is held by Wexham Court Parish Council and falls within the classifications below.

·                To proactively publish or otherwise make available as a matter of routine, information in line with the statements contained within this scheme.

·                To produce and publish the methods by which the specific information is made routinely available so that it can be easily identified and accessed by members of the public.

·                To review and update on a regular basis the information Wexham Court Parish Council makes available under this scheme.

·                To produce a schedule of any fees charged for access to information which is made proactively available.  

·                To make this publication scheme available to the public.

2.       Classes of information

2.1 Who we are and what we do.
Organisational information, locations and contacts, constitutional and legal governance.

2.2 What we spend and how we spend it.
Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, tendering, procurement and contracts. 

2.3 What our priorities are and how we are doing.
Strategy and performance information, plans, assessments, inspections and reviews.

2.4 How we make decisions.
Policy proposals and decisions. Decision making processes, internal criteria and procedures, consultations.

2.5 Our policies and procedures.
Current written protocols for delivering our functions and responsibilities. 

2.6 Lists and registers.
Information held in registers required by law and other lists and registers relating to the functions of the authority.

2.7 The services we offer.
Advice and guidance, booklets and leaflets, transactions and media releases. A description of the services offered.

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.

3        The method by which information published under this scheme will be made available

The Wexham Court Parish Council will indicate clearly to the public what information is covered by this scheme and how it can be obtained.

Where it is within the capability of Wexham Court Parish Council, information will be provided on our website. Where it is impracticable to make information available on a website or when an individual does not wish to access the information by the website, we will indicate how information can be obtained by other means and provide it by those means.

In exceptional circumstances some information may be available only by viewing in person. Where this manner is specified, contact details will be provided. An appointment to view the information will be arranged within a reasonable timescale.

Information will be provided in the language in which it is held or in such other language that is legally required. Where an authority is legally required to translate any information, it will do so.

Obligations under disability and discrimination legislation and any other legislation to provide information in other forms and formats will be adhered to when providing information in accordance with this scheme.

4.       Charges which may be made for information published under this scheme

The purpose of this scheme is to make the maximum amount of information readily available at minimum inconvenience and cost to the public. Charges made by the council for routinely published material will be justified and transparent and kept to a minimum.

Material which is published and accessed on a website will be provided free of charge.

Charges may be made for information subject to a charging regime specified by Parliament.

Charges may be made for actual disbursements incurred such as: 

·                photocopying

·                postage and packaging

·                the costs directly incurred as a result of viewing information

Charges may also be made for information provided under this scheme where they are legally authorised, they are in all the circumstances, including the general principles of the right of access to information held by public authorities, justified and are in accordance with a published schedule or schedules of fees which is readily available to the public.

If a charge is to be made, confirmation of the payment due will be given before the information is provided. Payment may be requested prior to provision of the information.

5.       Written requests

Information held by a public authority that is not published under this scheme can be requested in writing, when its provision will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

6.       Contact details

If you require a paper version of any information, or want to ask whether information is available please contact the council by telephone, email, or letter. Contact details are set out below, or you can visit our website at http://wexhamcourt.co.uk

Email: Dianne_Egan@hotmail.com

Tel: 01753 534924

Contact Address: Clerk to the Council, Wexham Court Parish Hall, Norway Drive, Wexham, Slough, Berkshire, SL2 5QP.

To help us process your request quickly, please clearly mark any correspondence “PUBLICATION SCHEME REQUEST” (in CAPITALS please).

If the information you’re looking for isn’t available via the scheme you can still contact the Parish Council to ask if we have it.

Note: This model publication scheme has been prepared and approved by the Information Commissioner to be adopted without modification by any public authority without further approval and will be valid until further notice.

Information available from Wexham Court Parish Council under the model publication scheme

 

Information to be published	How the information can be obtained	Cost
Class1 - Who we are and what we do (Organisational information, structures, locations and contacts)   This will be current information only                                     N.B. Councils should already be publishing as much information as possible about how they can be contacted.	Website Hard copy	Free 10p per sheet
Who’s who on the Council and its Committees	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Contact details for Parish Clerk and Council members (named contacts where possible with telephone number and email address (if used))	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Location of main Council office and accessibility details	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Staffing structure	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Class 2 – What we spend and how we spend it (Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit)   Current and previous financial year as a minimum	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Annual return form and report by auditor	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Finalised budget	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Precept	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Borrowing Approval letter	N/A	N/A
Financial Standing Orders and Regulations	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Grants given and received	Hard copy	10p per sheet
List of current contracts awarded and value of contract (if any)	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Members’ allowances and expenses (if any)	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Class 3 – What our priorities are and how we are doing (Strategies and plans, performance indicators, audits, inspections and reviews)	Website Hard copy	Free 10p per sheet
Parish Plan (current and previous year as a minimum)	N/A	N/A
Annual Report to Parish or Community Meeting (current and previous year as a minimum)	Website Hard copy	Free 10p per sheet
Quality status	N/A	N/A
Local charters drawn up in accordance with DCLG guidelines	N/A	N/A
Class 4 – How we make decisions (Decision making processes and records of decisions)   Current and previous council year as a minimum	Website Hard copy	Free 10p per sheet
Timetable of meetings (Council, any committee/sub-committee meetings and parish meetings)	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Agendas of meetings (as above)	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Minutes of meetings (as above) – NB this will exclude information that is properly regarded as private to the meeting.	Website Hard copy	Free 10p per sheet
Reports presented to council meetings - NB this will exclude information that is properly regarded as private to the meeting.	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Responses to consultation papers	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Responses to planning applications	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Bye-laws	N/A	N/A
Class 5 – Our policies and procedures (Current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our services and responsibilities)   Current information only	Website Hard copy	Free 10p per sheet
Policies and procedures for the conduct of council business:   Procedural standing orders Committee and sub-committee terms of reference Delegated authority in respect of officers Code of Conduct Policy statements	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Policies and procedures for the provision of services and about the employment of staff:   Internal policies relating to the delivery of services Equality and diversity policy Health and safety policy Recruitment policies (including current vacancies) Policies and procedures for handling requests for information Complaints procedures (including those covering requests for information and operating the publication scheme)	Website Hard copy	Free 10p per sheet
Information security policy	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Records management policies (records retention, destruction and archive)	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Data protection policies	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Schedule of charges (for the publication of information)	Website Hard copy	Free 10p per sheet
Class 6 – Lists and Registers   Currently maintained lists and registers only	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Any publicly available register or list (if any are held this should be publicised; in most circumstances existing access provisions will suffice)	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Assets Register	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Disclosure log (indicating the information that has been provided in response to requests; recommended as good practice, but may not be held by parish councils)	N/A	N/A
Register of members’ interests	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Register of gifts and hospitality	N/A	N/A
Class 7 – The services we offer (Information about the services we offer, including leaflets, guidance and newsletters produced for the public and businesses)   Current information only	Website Hard copy (some information may only be available by inspection)	Free 10p per sheet
Allotments	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Burial grounds and closed churchyards	N/A	N/A
Community centres and village halls	Website Hard copy	Free 10p per sheet
Parks, playing fields and recreational facilities	Website Hard copy	Free 10p per sheet
Seating, litter bins, clocks, memorials and lighting	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Bus shelters	N/A	N/A
Markets	N/A	N/A
Public conveniences	N/A	N/A
Agency agreements	N/A	N/A
A summary of services for which the council is entitled to recover a fee, together with those fees (e.g. Parish Hall hire)	Hard copy	10p per sheet
Any Other Additional Information Information that is not itemised in the lists above (if available)	Hard copy	10p per sheet

 

SCHEDULE OF CHARGES

TYPE OF CHARGE	DESCRIPTION	BASIS OF CHARGE
Disbursement cost	Photocopying @ 10p per sheet (black & white)	Actual cost *
	Photocopying @ 20p per sheet (colour)	Actual cost *
	Postage	Actual cost of Royal Mail standard 1st Class
Freedom of Information request		An additional charge may be made relating to the cost to the Parish Council for retrieval and collation.

* the actual cost incurred by the public authority

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

The Council would normally expect the Clerk or a named Officer to understand what information you have asked for and be able to provide it.  If the information you receive is not what you asked for or need, you should first contact the Clerk or named Officer.  If the information is not available you will be told why.

If you believe that the Officer has not dealt with your request fairly and cannot deal with it satisfactorily on an informal basis, you should contact the Parish Council Chairman.

If you have done so, and are still not happy with how we have dealt with your request, you may also contact the Information Commissioner to ask them to investigate the matter further.