What is Freedom of Information?

The Freedom of Information Act (FOI) came into effect 5 January 2009, grants the public the right to access various records held by public authorities, while also outlining specific exemptions to this right. However, it is important to note that the FOI Act does not apply to documents held by the Land Registry that are available for purchase by the public

Whilst much information within the Lands & Survey Department is already in the public domain, the Department has prepared for implementation through;

• The review of existing records
• The establishment of policies and procedures for dealing with Freedom of Information Requests
• The pro-active publication of documents where they are likely to be of interest to the general public.

It is important to note that most of the land registry and survey records managed by the Department are publicly available through the Land Registry or Survey section.  These records cannot be accessed via an FOI request and must be obtained through the dedicated access channels established for publicly available records. 

Publication Schemes

Each public authority covered by the Freedom of Information Act has a legal duty to adopt and maintain a publication scheme in accordance with Section 5 of the FOI Law. The main purpose of a publication scheme is to make information readily available without the need for specific written requests. Schemes are intended to encourage organisations to publish proactively, and develop a greater culture of openness.

The Law states that Information to be published by public authorities includes;

• The functions of the Department, what work it does and how it sets about its tasks.
• The sections and committees of the Department.
• The subjects handled by each Department, with the locations of the Department and agencies and the opening hours of all offices.
• The title and business address of the Principal Officer and other key officers within the authority.
• Classes of records held.
• Manuals, interpretations, rules, guidelines, practices or precedents.

Please check our Document Library , Publication Scheme and Disclosure Log to see if the information you would like is already available.

How to Submit an FOI Requests

If you want to request information from us, you should initially look at the document library to see if the information you seek has already been published. If you wish to make a request you should complete the Freedom of Information Request Form and return it to us by Mail, Email, or In Person. Alternatively, you can contact the Information Manager (select FOI) via email to submit a request.

Requests must be in writing (letter, email or facsimile) and must include your name and an address (either postal or e-mail). Please be as specific as possible about the information you would like, as this will help us to respond promptly. Where possible, please include a contact telephone number so we can call to discuss your request if necessary.

We will respond to your request promptly. The Law requires public authorities to respond within 30 calendar days, allowing an extension of an additional 30 calendar days if needed. We will always acknowledge receipt of FOI requests made to the above address and we will let you know if we need to extend the deadline. For detailed advice on what sorts of information is exempt please see the FOI Unit website.