Freedom of Information Act 2000

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on public authorities. A 'public authority' is defined in the Act and includes, but is not restricted to, central and local government, non-departmental public bodies, the police, the health service and schools, colleges and universities. Any person who makes a request to a public authority for information must be informed whether the public authority holds that information and, subject to exemptions, be supplied with that information.

Our Responsibilities

Norfolk Police Authority's Publication Scheme, which is based on the model introduced by the Information Commissioner, commits us to:

• Proactively publish information, including environmental information, which is held by the Authority (view Classes of Information classifications for further details);
• Review and update on a regular basis the information the Authority makes routinely available.

Gaining Access to Proactively Published Information

Information, where possible, will be made available electronically on our website. Where information is only accessible in non-electronic format, or when you as an individual do not wish to access the information electronically, you can contact the Authority and make a request for the information in hard copy format:

Write to: Office Manager, Chief Executive's Office, Norfolk Police Authority, Jubilee House, Falconers Chase, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 0WW

Telephone: (01953) 424455

Email: policeauthority@norfolk.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to make a general request for information, please write to the Office Manager (details above) who will deal with your request. In instances where information you require is only accessible by attending the Police Authority premises to view, you should contact the Authority using the above contact details to make an appointment. If it is not possible for you to view the information in person, every reasonable effort will be made to find an alternative means of communicating the information. All information will be provided in the language in which it is held. Where we are required, under another statute, to translate certain information, we will do so. To meet our obligations laid out within the equality legislation, should you require information in other forms or an alternative format, please contact us and we will endeavour to meet your requirements.

Charging for Publications

Norfolk Police Authority reserves the right to make a charge for providing materials under the Freedom of Information Act. However, we aim to provide most of our information for free. All information found on our website can be downloaded free of charge. The user will, of course, have to meet any charges made by their own Internet service provider and/or telephone company as well as any personal costs for photocopying, etc.

Charges may be made for information subject to a charging regime approved by Parliament and for any relevant expenditure incurred, such as:

• Photocopying documents;
• Postage and packaging;
• The viewing of information at our premises.

If a charge is to be made, we will advise you of the amount of payment due prior to the information being provided. You will have to pay in advance. Final decisions regarding charging for documents will be taken by the Chief Executive to the Authority.

Making a Request under Freedom of Information

All requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act must be made in writing and include the following:

• Your Name;
• An address (email or postal);
• A description of the information you require.

Write to: Office Manager, Norfolk Police Authority, Jubilee House, Falconers Chase, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 0WW.

Email: policeauthority@norfolk.pnn.police.uk

What Happens Next:

You will receive written confirmation of receipt of your request and a latest date by which you should receive a reply. The Act requires that requests for information are responded to within 20 working days, starting from the working day after your request is received.

If it is necessary to clarify any aspect of your request, we will contact you. A telephone number would be helpful for this purpose.

The response to your request will be provided via email or post. If it has been necessary to refuse your request or any part of it, this will be fully explained including what exemptions have been applied and why.

Should the information requested be held by Norfolk Constabulary rather than Norfolk Police Authority, we will contact you to ensure you are happy that we transfer the request to their Freedom of Information Unit. If you do not agree to the request being transferred we will respond but can provide only that information held by the Norfolk Police Authority. We may consult with Norfolk Constabulary over issues relating to your request.

Internal Review

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which your request has been handled, then you should write, in the first instance, to: Chief Executive, Norfolk Police Authority, Jubilee House, Falconers Chase, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 0WW.

Telephone: 01953 424455

Fax: 01953 424462

Email: policeauthority@norfolk.pnn.police.uk

We may, in the first instance, try and resolve your complaint informally. However, at any stage you can request or we may decide to treat your complaint formally under our internal review process. An internal review is conducted by the Chief Executive of Norfolk Police Authority who will review the request and response, taking account of your complaint(s), and will respond in writing as soon as possible. The Information Commissioner's Office recommends that a response should be made in 20 working days. If we are unable to respond in this timeframe, we will inform you and provide a date by which you should expect to receive our response.

If, after the internal review, you remain dissatisfied then you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, the Government regulator for the Freedom of Information Act. Details of how to contact the Information Commissioner's Office can be found at www.ico.gov.uk