FOI

Freedom of Information
We are committed to operating openly and transparently and to maintaining a high level of public trust and confidence in our organisation.
To support this commitment, the College of Policing will meet all reasonable requests for information where possible under the Act.

Background
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act) gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities. The purpose of the FOI Act is to make public bodies, such as the College of Policing, more accountable to those that fund them and more transparent to members of the general public. People have a right to know about the activities of public authorities, unless there is a good reason for them not to. There is a presumption that the information requested will, if held, be disclosed unless we can demonstrate harm or prejudice would result in doing so.

How to request information
The College routinely publishes information about its spending, priorities, decision-making, policies and procedures through our Publication Scheme. You may wish to refer to this to determine if the information you are seeking is already available before submitting a request for information.

Disclosure log
The College Disclosure Log provides copies of our responses to all previous freedom of information requests made to us. Before making a request for information to us, it is recommended that you check the disclosure log to see if the information you seek has already been disclosed. You may access the disclosure log from the menu on the left hand side of this page.
The disclosure log will be updated on a regular basis and all updates will be published on this page. If you have any questions regarding our disclosure log, please contact us.

If you can’t find the information you are seeking via the above means, you can request information by writing to:
FOI Team
College of Policing
Central House
Otley Road
Harrogate
North Yorkshire
HG3 1UF
Email: FOI@college.pnn.police.uk

When making a request for information, please be sure to tell us clearly:

• Your name
• An address where correspondence can be sent or a valid email address
• What information you seek

If you would like to request details of information the College holds about you (i.e. your personal data), please see the Making a Subject Access Request page.

There are alternative arrangements for people who do not want to, or cannot, access the information online or by inspection at our premises. For example, we can usually arrange to send information to you in paper copy (although there may be a charge for this). If you require a printed copy of the publication or a copy in an alternative format, please contact FOI@College.pnn.police.uk

Cost of Information
The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 outline where fees may be applicable for certain requests.

The College will routinely only charge you for hard copies or copying onto media e.g. CD. The charges will vary according to how information is made available. If the cost of retrieving and sending you the information is more than £450, the FOI Act provides we do not have to provide you with the requested information. This amount is based on a national cost of 18 hours work at £25 per hour as set out by the Regulations.

In certain cases, the College may provide you with the information requested even if the estimated cost exceeds the limit above. In this case we can either provide the information at no charge, charge you the full cost or charge you the difference between the total cost and the limit above. For example, where the total cost of retrieving the information is £500, we may charge you £50, representing the difference between the cost limit and the actual cost for retrieving the information.

Refusing information requests
Our commitment to openness and transparency is balanced by the need for us to consider whether there are valid reasons why some information should be withheld, for example if its release would prejudice national security, endanger the safety of individuals or prejudice commercial interests. For some exemptions under the FOI Act, we must also consider whether the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in releasing it.

In considering each request, we will consult fully with external stakeholders where appropriate. If we determine that we are unable to disclose the information requested, we will always explain the reasons why and which exemption(s) have been applied.

Full detail on the exemptions under the FOI Act as well as general information can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Website.

Copyright
Where the College holds the copyright in its published information, the information may be copied or reproduced without formal permission, provided that:

• it is copied or reproduced accurately
• it is not used in a misleading context, and
• the source of the material is identified.

Where the College does not hold the copyright in information we publish, we will make this clear to you.

Internal Review Process
If you are dissatisfied with the response you have received, you have the right to request an internal review of the decision reached. Requests for internal review should be submitted in writing, within forty (40) working days from the date of the refusal notice.

If you wish to request an internal review, the issues you raise will initially be considered by somebody not involved in the handling of your original request. You will receive a substantive response as soon as possible and in most cases within 20 working days of receipt. In exceptional circumstances it may take longer than 20 working days to complete an internal review and in such cases, we will notify you and will aim to complete the internal review within 40 working days.

You may submit a request for internal review by writing to us at the address above or by emailing us at FOI@College.pnn.police.uk.

When submitting a request for an internal review, please clearly state the nature of your request and provide the reference number you received in the initial response to you. If you do not have a reference number, please provide details of when you wrote to us, to whom, and what about.

Appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
If you are dissatisfied with the College’s response to your internal review, you will have a further right of appeal to the Information Commissioner in accordance with Section 50 of the FOI Act and this will be explained in our response to you.

You can contact the Information Commissioner by writing to:

The Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

You may also submit your appeal online or call the ICO on 01625 545 700