Page 86 - Member of Parliament Uk-handbook

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public access to information
Members of the public have a right to request access to
information held by public authorities.
The right to request access to information is enshrined in
three different laws according to the type of information to
be accessed:

requests from an individual to look at his or her personal
data should be dealt with under the Data Protection Act;

requests for environmental information should be dealt
with under the Environmental Information Regulations;

any other written request for information should be dealt
with under the Freedom of Information Act.

Members of Parliament are not public authorities under
the Freedom of Information Act or the Environmental
Information Regulations and are not obliged to respond to
requests under these laws.

Members are subject to the Data Protection Act and
requests for personal data that is held by a Member should
be sent directly to that Member and not to the House of
Commons.

Library staff can help to search for information which may
have been published but is not easily accessible.
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act deals with access to official Freedom of
Information
information. In addition, there are also regulations which
Officer x2032
provide access to environmental information. These are
foicommons@
known as the Environmental Information Regulations (see parliament.uk
page 82). intranet.
parliament.uk/FOI
The Freedom of Information Act applies to most public
authorities including the House of Commons (but it does
not apply to information held by individual Members).