Part I: Access to information held by public authorities
11.This Part:
provides for the general right of access to recorded information held by public authorities and specifies the conditions which need to be fulfilled before an authority is obliged to comply with a request;
describes the effect of the exemptions in Part II on the obligations under section 1;
provides for the Act to cover the bodies, persons or office holders specified in Schedule 1 and publicly-owned companies and includes a power to specify further public authorities for the purpose of the Act;
allows public authorities to charge fees in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State;
provides for time limits for complying with a request;
makes special provision relating to public records transferred to the Public Record Office, etc.;
requires public authorities to provide advice and assistance to applicants;
requires public authorities to state the basis for refusal of a request;
renames the Data Protection Commissioner and Data Protection Tribunal (with consequential amendments to other legislation being made in Schedule 2); and
requires public authorities to adopt and maintain a publication scheme and to publish information in accordance with it.
