Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act (the Act) became law on 30 November 2000, and is intended to foster a culture of openness in government. The Act establishes a right of access to all types of “recorded” information held by public authorities and imposes obligations on public authorities to disclose information, subject to a range of exemptions. Environmental information is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act, as it has its own information access regime, the Environmental Information Regulations (2004). The Homes and Communities Agency is subject to both the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations.

An important feature of the Act is the requirement for each public authority to maintain a publication scheme, and to proactively publish certain categories of information. We are currently developing our publication scheme in line with the Information Commissioner’s Development and Maintenance initiative, further details of which can be accessed from: http://www.ico.gov.uk/Home/what_we_cover/freedom_of_information/publication_schemes.aspx.

As a new agency, we may not hold information under some of these categories. We shall update our publication scheme when this information becomes available. However, we have provided links to the websites of the Homes and Communities Agency’s predecessor organisations, English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation.

Our publication scheme is available in English only. Should you require assistance in another language, please contact the Information Access Officer who will be able to investigate the appointment of a suitable translator. The Homes and Communities Agency is contributed to equal opportunities and will provide appropriate assistance to persons who consider themselves to have a disability. Should you require assistance accessing our scheme or making a request for information, please contact the Information Access Officer.

If you cannot find the information you are seeking in our publication scheme, or if you require information which is not routinely published, you may make a written request for information. Please write to:

Information Access Officer
Homes and Communities Agency
Central Business Exchange II
424-428 Midsummer Boulevard
Central Milton Keynes
MK9 2EA

If you wish to email your request, please use our contact form.

You may also phone to request environmental information only (under the Environmental Information Regulations) on 01908 353680.

Once we receive your request for information, we will endeavour to respond to you as soon as possible. We aim to respond to all requests for information within twenty working days. However, in certain circumstances, it may take us longer than this to respond. If for any reason we are unable to provide you with a response within twenty working days, we will write to you to advise.

For further information on the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations, please visit the Information Commissioner’s website, where you will find further guidance.

Subject access requests

If you wish to make a Subject Access Request, please contact:

Information Access Officer
Homes and Communities Agency
Central Business Exchange II
414-428 Midsummer Boulevard
Central Milton Keynes
MK9 2EA

Subject Access Requests made under the Data Protection act 1998 are subject to a £10.00 fee, which must be paid in full before research can be undertaken. Applicants must also complete a Subject Access Request form, giving as much information as possible to help us locate the data. Under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 we will not release personal information to third parties without the written consent of the data subject(s).

Should you have any questions regarding the Homes and Communities Agency’s handling of information access issues, require any assistance with formulating a request or accessing our publication scheme, please contact the Information Access Officer via the online contact form.

The resources required for the duplication of A1 plans dictate that it may be necessary to charge for these on occasion. If it should prove necessary to charge for the provision of a copy plan, we shall advise you prior to the copying being carried out.

Please note that in consideration of our resources, we reserve the right to supply information in either a single or double sided format.

Wherever possible, the Homes and Communities Agency will provide information without charge. However, where the request involves extensive photocopying or printing, we will apply the following fee scale:

Fees

	A4	A5
Up to 100 sheets	Free	Free
Over 100 sheets	10p	20p

Last updated: 5 June 2009