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This fact sheet will give you some basic information about freedom of information.

Please be aware that this is not legal advice and if you are concerned about any of the issues mentioned you should speak to a lawyer.

You can contact Russell Jones & Walker's solicitors at enquiries@rjw.co.uk or call our freephone number 0800 916 9065.

How am I protected from age discrimination?

Under the Freedom of Information Act you have a right to ask for any information held by a public sector organisation. You have this right whatever your age or nationality, and wherever you live.

Unless there is a good reason, organisations must give you the information you ask for within a month. You can also ask for all the personal information they hold about you. There is a similar right in Scotland.

What sort of public sector organisations are covered by this Act?

It applies to all public authorities, including:

• Government departments and local assemblies
• Local authorities and councils
• Health trusts, hospitals and doctors' practices
• Schools, colleges and universities
• Publicly-funded museums
• The police
• Many other public bodies, committees and advisory bodies, such as the Arts Council, the Parole Board and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

What sort of information can I ask for?

You can ask for any information at all, although organisations can hold back some information. If this is the case, they must tell you why.

If you are asking for personal information, it will be dealt with under the Data Protection Act rather than the Freedom of Information Act. There is a separate fact sheet about this on Your Legal Rights.

If you are asking for environmental information, such as information about water, noise or radiation, your request will be dealt with under the Environmental Information Regulations. For more information about this, see www.defra.gov.uk.

What information can organisations hold back?

Some information is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act, for example, if it would endanger national security. Organisations can also refuse to send you the information if it is already available to the public (for example, on a website) or they intend to publish it in future. They can also decline your request if it would be too expensive to find the information.

How long will it take?

All you have to do is write or email the organisation you think holds the information you want. You should make sure you include your name, a contact address and a description of the information you want. You don't have to mention the Freedom of Information Act.

You should be as clear as possible. For example, say the minutes of the meeting where the decision to do x was made. rather than all the information you have about x.

You can ask for the information to be given to you in a particular form, such as a permanent copy, a summary or being able to inspect records with the information. You may also be able to get the information in Braille, audio or large type or translated into another language.

How do I ask for information?

Organisations must reply within 20 working days - about a month. If they need more time they must write and tell you when they will answer and why they need more time.

Will I have to pay?

Most requests are free. You might have to pay a small amount for photocopies or postage.

If the organisation thinks it will cost them more than £450 (or £600 in the case of a request to central government) to find the information and prepare it, they can turn down your request. They might ask you to narrow down your request by being more specific about what you are looking for.

Can I appeal if my request is refused?

Firstly, you should ask the organisation to carry out an internal review of their decision. This should be done by someone who was not involved in the initial decision.

If they refuse, or you still aren't satisfied, you can appeal to the independent Information Commissioner. You should do this as soon as possible and within two months of the decision by the organisation. For more information about how to complain to the commissioner, see www.ico.gov.uk.

The Commissioner can investigate and, if he agrees the organisation has acted wrongly, can order it to give you the information you asked for.

If you are not happy with the Commissioner's response, you can complain to the Information Tribunal. For more information see www.informationtribunal.gov.uk.

Where can I get more information?

Most public organisations will have information about how to make a request on their websites. You can also find out more from www.direct.gov.uk. The Campaign for Freedom of Information has a more detailed user guide at www.cfoi.org.uk.