Responding to Freedom of Information Requests

We will respond to your freedom of information (FOI) request within 20 working days. We have FOI officers in each service department

• Education
• Environment and leisure
• Housing
• Regeneration
• Health & social care
• Strategic services

who will be handling your request.

As part of our freedom of information requirements we will be logging and tracking each request to ensure that you receive your response quickly and efficiently within 20 working days. If we require more information to process your request we will contact you for clarification.

Requests we will process

As required by the legislation, all requests that cost less than £450 to determine if we hold the information you have requested and to locate, retrieve and extract the it, will be free of charge. 

At Southwark Council we will not respond to requests that will cost more than £450.

If it is determined that your request exceeds this amount we will contact you. Under the 'duty to assist' provision we will provide guidance to refine your request.

In special circumstances however, and under the guidance of the monitoring officer, requests that exceed £450 in effort may be processed.

Fees and disbursement charges

Fees and disbursements will be levied at full charge and the requestor will be notified in writing.

We require full payment to process your request and if payment is not received within three months from the date on the fees notice, we will assume you are no longer interested in receiving the information.

Disbursement charges, for example photocopying, post, alternative formats such CDs, will be levied if the costs exceed £20.

If there are any disbursement charges you will be notified in writing and all payments must be received prior to completing your request. If you do not respond within three months we will assume that you are no longer interested in receiving the information.

Under the Act, we are not obliged to respond to requests deemed vexatious or repeated requests from the same person or group on substantially similar information received within 60 consecutive working days. If your request falls into either of these categories you will be notified in writing.

All information at Southwark Council is available for public disclosure unless if falls under one of the 23 exemptions contained in the Freedom of Information Act.

Exemptions

There are two types of exemptions, absolute and qualified. Qualified exemptions will be decided on a case by case basis to decide if it is in the public interest to release, known as the public interest test.

In circumstances where possible exemptions might apply we will notify you in writing.

Public interest tests will be conducted by specially trained FOI officers, with necessary guidance from the council's legal services. Ultimately, the council's monitoring officer is responsible for the disclosure decision.

By default we will process requests in English.

Contact us

If you want us to handle your request in languages other than English or to meet accessibility requirements, for example, braille, large print or audio, please contact us at accessinfo@southwark.gov.uk or call 020 7525 7511.