Freedom of information

Introduction

1. Legal requirement
1.1 Adopting a publication scheme is a requirement of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This Act promotes greater openness and accountability across the public sector by requiring all ‘public authorities’ to make information available proactively, through a publication scheme.
1.2 ‘Public authorities’ are defined in the Act and include universities, further education colleges and sixth form colleges.

2. What is a publication scheme?
2.1 A publication scheme is a document which describes the information a public authority publishes, or intends to publish. In this context, ‘publish’ means to make information available, routinely. These descriptions are called ‘classes of information’. The scheme is not a list of the actual publications, because this will change as new material is published or existing material revised. It is, however, the public authority’s commitment to make available the information described.
2.2 A publication scheme must set out the classes, or categories, of information published. It must also make clear how the information described can be accessed and whether or not charges will be made.

3. The ‘model’ publication scheme for higher education
3.1 Bishop Grosseteste University has adopted the model publication scheme developed for the higher education sector and is therefore committed to publishing the information it describes.
3.2 This model is designed for universities/higher education colleges across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The purpose of the model is to save institutions duplicating effort in producing individual schemes and to assist the public in accessing information from across the sector. However, to reflect the diversity in size and function of institution, a number of optional classes of information are included. As a result, models within the sector will vary slightly. Any optional classes relevant to us have been included in our scheme.

4. Who we are
4.1 Founded in 1862, Bishop Grosseteste University is a higher education institution located in Lincoln. The University offers a range of programmes, specialising in teacher training (both initial and in-service) as well as providing degree courses in the arts and humanities. Bishop Grosseteste University is a Church University within the Anglican tradition.

5. Accessing information covered by the publication scheme
5.1 The classes of information we publish are described in the second part of the scheme.
5.2 Next to each class we have indicated the manner in which the information described will be available. We have also indicated whether charges apply to material in each class.
5.3 Please note that a publication scheme relates to ‘published’ information. Therefore, material covered has already been prepared in a format ready for distribution.

6. What about information not covered by the publication scheme?
6.1 Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 you are entitled to request any information held by a public authority which it has not already made available through its publication scheme.
6.2 Requests must be made in writing and, in general, public authorities must respond within 20 working days. Public authoritise are entitled to charge a fee, as per the Fees Regulations. They will not be required to release information to which an exemption in the Act legitimately applies. However, public authorities may be required to explain to the applicant why they are not releasing information and they may also have to justify this to the Information Commissioner.

7. Feedback
7.1 It is important that this publication scheme meets your needs. If you find the scheme difficult to understand, please let us know. We also welcome suggestions as to how our scheme might be improved. Any questions, comments or complaints about this scheme should be sent in writing to the Publication Scheme Co-ordinator below:

FOI Team
Governance and Quality Office
Bishop Grosseteste University
Lincoln
LN1 3DY

7.2 If we are unable to resolve any complaint, you can complain to the Information Commissioner, the independent body who oversees the Freedom of Information Act:

Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

8. Further information
8.1 More information about the Freedom of Information Act is available on the Information Commissioner’s website at https://ico.org.uk/