The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) enables you to access information of which you are the subject, for example your own education/ medical records/credit reference files/personnel file. DPA requests have a £10 charge. A valid request is answered within 40 calendar days of its receipt.
The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIRs) enables you access to environmental information relating to:
- Air, water, land, natural sites, flora and fauna, built environment and health
- It also covers all information relating to decision or activities affecting, or likely to affect, any of these, including environmental protection and cost benefit analysis.
Enquiries can be made over the telephone or in writing and you should receive a response within 20 working days. However, the 20 working day limit can be extended up to 40 working days if the request is complex or involves high volumes of information.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) The Freedom of Information Act gives you a general right of access to all types of 'recorded' information held by public authorities, including the Government Office for the East of England. The Act has created two rights for you:
- to know if information exists
- to have it supplied on written request.
For any of the three types of query, FOI, EIR or DPA please put your request in writing (this can also be by fax or email) to the appropriate individual or team, or you can write to our Information Manager. You will need to;
- state clearly what information is required
- state your name and an address for correspondence
- you may request the information in any format. However, we may take into account the cost of supplying the information before complying with your request.
If you wish to appeal against an FOI/EIR decision made by the Government Office for the East of England, you will advised of your right of appeal in a leaflet accompanying the response
What we must do:
- maintain a Publication Scheme, which sets out the information that we will routinely make available
- tell you whether we hold the information requested and provide it or explain why it has not been provided, quoting the relevant exemption under the Act
- reply to you within 20 working days
- advise and assist you to make your request. We may contact you to clarify your request
- although there will be no charge for information that costs Government Office for the East of England less than £600 to produce, we may request a fee if this limit is exceeded. If you do not wish to pay the fee, we can refuse to supply the information.
