Guide to Freedom of Information

Annual subscription with regular updates

All Public Authorities MUST comply with Freedom of Information legislation by providing the public with access to information that it holds.

To make sure that you have the latest and up-to-date information about how the legislation is working and corrective actions that need to be taken you need BSI’s Freedom of Information Guide. 

The BSI Freedom of Information Guide will help all public authorities to:

• fully implement the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002 (FOISA)
• receive regular updates on excemptions to access including our experts interpretation of the lates relevant case law and decisions
• refer to a single source for practical advice and tips
• view a detailed description of the required actions
• promote openness and good practice
• provide advice on contracts
• provide advice on dealing with problems arising.

Structured and consolidated into three easy-to-use parts, the BSI Freedom of Information (FOI) Guide 2008 provides detailed guidance on the FOI and Environmental Information legislation, including detailed guidance on the Scottish legislation and provides a detailed explanation of all the exemptions to help your organization meet legal requirements.

Part 1: Guide to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

• Overview
• Scope of the Acts
• Records management
• Publication Schemes
• Access rights
• Enforcement
• Organization and staffing issues
• Copyright and public sector information: their relationship with freedom of information and the Environmental Information Regulations 8

Part 2: Exceptions to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

• Exceptions to access rights
• Environmental information
• Commercial information
• Personal information

Part 3: Supporting Documents

• Explanation of terms and abbrevations
• Case studies

Updates for 2008 include:

• exemptions to access rights.  Regular updates giving the latest information on  new case law decisions for the standard exemptions together with the decisions’ impact on the practical application of the exception
• Assessment of compliance Workbook to will help you assess and document the processes and procedures used within your organization to achieve compliance with the legislation
• Model FOI policies and standard letters