CANWICK PARISH COUNCIL

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

PUBLICATION SCHEME

© Canwick Parish Council 2002 - 2008
Originated: 4th December 2002
Latest Revision Date: 1st January 2008
Rev. 12
 

A. INTRODUCTION

The Freedom Of Information Act 2000 gives a general right of access to information held by public authorities, subject to certain defined exemptions. Canwick Parish Council is such a public authority as defined by the Act.

The Council is required to adopt and maintain a "Publication Scheme" setting out the classes of information it holds, the manner in which it intends to publish the information, and whether a charge will be made for the information.

This document sets out the Publication Scheme first adopted by the Council on 4th December 2002, as later amended. The Scheme has been approved by the Information Commissioner (see Section G, Further Information & Acknowledgements).

Copies of this document are available from the Clerk.


B. HOW WE PUBLISH INFORMATION

To "publish" information simply means to make it publicly available.

All the classes of information detailed in Section D (Information To Be Made Available) are available in hard copy form. The Freedom Of Information Act specifies that applications should be made in writing (or by e-mail), and that in general a response by the Council must be provided within 20 working days. If a fee is required, the period of up to 20 working days is extended by up to 3 months until the fee is paid. Fees are payable in advance.

All requests for information under the Act should be sent in writing to the Clerk (see Section E, Contact Details).

To make access as easy as possible, the Council places some key information on the internet at www.canwick.org.

 

C. CHARGES

The Council will make no charge for information accessed from the website.

For information provided by the Clerk, the Act allows the Council to make a reasonable charge. The fee levied will recover all disbursements necessary in meeting any individual information request to the maximum degree permitted under the fees regulations, and is payable in advance. Very substantial information requests may incur additional charges. Fees may be varied from time to time in accordance with guidelines issued by the Ministry of Justice and/or the Information Commissioner.


D. INFORMATION TO BE MADE AVAILABLE

The Freedom Of Information Act groups together different kinds of information into categories which it calls "Classes". These are the six "Core Classes" of information available from Canwick Parish Council:

1) COUNCIL INTERNAL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE

Minutes of Council, committee and sub-committee meetings – limited to the last 2 years.
Procedural Standing Orders
Council's Annual Report to Parish Meeting

2) CODE OF CONDUCT

Members Declaration of Acceptance of Office
Members Register of Interests
Register of Members Interests Book

3) PERIODIC ELECTORAL REVIEW

Information relating to the last Periodic Electoral Review of the council area
Information relating to the latest boundary review of the council area

4) EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE

Terms & conditions of employment
Job descriptions

Exclusions – ‘personal records’ i.e. appraisals, employee specific salary details, disciplinary records, sickness records and the like by virtue of being personal data under the Data Protection Act 1998

5) PLANNING DOCUMENTS

Planning applications and the Council's comments on them.

N.B. - the Council's comments are also summarised in "minutes of council meetings".
N.B. - planning applications within the parish are available for inspection by appointment with the Clerk. Planning approvals are granted by North Kesteven District Council (see Section F, Other Local Authorities). Plans may also be viewed at NKDC.

Exclusions – Copies of planning consultations, the Development Plan, Structure Plan, Local Plan and Rights of Way/Footpath maps all of which are available from the local planning and highway authorities respectively. See Section F (below).

6) AUDIT AND ACCOUNTS

Annual return form – limited to the last financial year
Annual Statutory report by auditor (internal and external) – limited to the last financial year
Receipt/Payment books, Receipt books of all kinds, Bank Statements from all accounts – limited to the last financial year
Precept request – limited to the last financial year
VAT records – limited to the last financial year
Financial Standing Orders and Regulations
Assets register – this will include details of commons/village greens owned by the council including management schemes for commons as well as village halls, community centres and recreation grounds.
Risk Assessments

Exclusions – all commercially sensitive information e.g. quotations and tenders, loan documentation and insurance policies. With regard to quotations and tenders, this information is treated as confidential to ensure that the whole tender process is fair i.e. if tender information is released to a third party prior to the end of the tender period those who initially submitted tenders could be undercut and/or unfairly disadvantaged.
 

E. CONTACT DETAILS

All requests for information under the Freedom Of Information Act should be made
in writing to:

Mrs Sandra Rudolf
Clerk, Canwick Parish Council
Parish Council Office
Jubilee Hall
High Street
HEIGHINGTON
Lincoln
LN4 1JS
Tel/Fax/Voicemail: 01522 790846
e-mail: clerk@canwick.org

Website: http://www.canwick.org

Names of correspondents may be included in Council minutes.

The Clerk will be happy to advise as to whether the Council holds the information being sought, and on the likely fee, before a formal application is made. Information requested under the Act will not be supplied until the due fee has been received.
 

F. OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Canwick Parish Council is at the most local level of local government. The area is also covered by a District Council (whose responsibilities includes planning, environmental health and refuse collection) and a County Council (whose responsibilities include highways, education and social services). These authorities are also subject to the Freedom Of Information Act, and are required to maintain their own Publication Schemes.

For full details contact:

North Kesteven District Council
PO Box 3
District Council Offices
Kesteven Street
Sleaford
Lincs NG34 7EF
Tel: 01522 699699 or 01529 414155
Fax: 01529 413956

Website: http://www.n-kesteven.gov.uk

Lincolnshire County Council
County Offices
Newland
Lincoln LN1 1YL
Tel: 01522 552222
Fax: 01522 552597

Website: http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk


G. FURTHER INFORMATION & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The administration of the Freedom Of Information Act is the responsibility of the Information Commissioner.

For more details contact:

FOI Team
Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545700
Fax: 01625 524510

Website: http://www.ico.gov.uk

The central government department responsible for the Act (and secondary legislation arising from the Act) is the Ministry of Justice.

For more details contact

Ministry of Justice
Selborne House
54 Victoria Street
London SW1E 6QW
Tel: 020 7210 8500

Website: http://www.justice.gov.uk

The Council has a duty to regularly review this Publication Scheme and its operation. Comments from members of the community would be welcome, and should be sent in writing to the Clerk.

This document has been created with the help of guidance and other material from the Information Commissioner and the National Association of Local Councils, some of which is partially reproduced in the text. The assistance and copyright of both these bodies is acknowledged.

This text is Copyright © Canwick Parish Council 2002 - 2008

Canwick PC is not responsible for other websites

Terms & Conditions