The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 introduces important new laws about how Public Authorities are obliged to make information publicly available. The Act gives people new rights to access information and most of these rights came into effect on 1 January 2005.

The Act aims to increase openness and accountability in Government and across the public sector by ensuring that people have the right to access information.

Any person who makes a request to a public authority for information must, subject to certain exemptions, be informed whether the public authority holds that information and be supplied with that information.

Individuals already have the right of access to information about themselves under the Data Protection Act 1998. The FOI Act does not affect the rights already provided by the Data Protection Act.