Scope - FOI Policy
This policy covers:
- the agreed approach of Oxford City Council to managing information requests:
- Freedom of Information (FOI) requests
- Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) requests
- Internal Review requests and FOI follow up questions
- Oxford City Council’s approach to FOI related complaints received by the Information Commissioner’s Office
An overview of the timetable and process for handling FOI/EIR requests is at Appendix 1.
This policy does not cover:
- the Council’s management of Data Subject Access Requests which is addressed in Oxford City Council Data Protection Policy
- data breaches or any data protection complaints or associated investigations by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
The Council will not provide information for requests which are the remit of any other third party organisations but will seek to provide advice on where to submit FOI requests.
Council Owned Companies:
The Council is not responsible for requests for information held by its wholly owned companies, Oxford Direct Services Ltd, Oxford Direct Services Trading Limited and Oxford City Housing Ltd (and subsidiaries). The organisations will deal with their own requests.
Any requester asking for information held by the Council’s wholly owned companies: the Oxford Direct Services companies (ODSL and ODSTL) and the Housing group companies (OCHL trading as OX Place and OCHIL) will be advised to make a new request directly to that organisation.
If requests relate to information held by both the Council and its companies the Council will respond to the part for which it holds information and advise the requester to make a separate request to the company for the information held by that company. The Council’s companies will likewise advise requesters asking for Council information to make a new request to the Council.
