The Freedom of Information Act requires that public authorities adopt and maintain a publication scheme. This should provide details of the information it will routinely make available, how the information can be obtained and whether there is any charge for it. A publication scheme is therefore both a public commitment to make certain information available and a guide to how that information can be obtained.
All publication schemes have to be approved by the Information Commissioner and should be reviewed by authorities periodically to ensure that they are accurate and up to date.
To comply with the Freedom of Information Act, a publication scheme must specify the type of information published, the manner in which it is published and whether the material is available free of charge or for a fee.
For more information about devising a publication scheme please refer to the following:
The date by which public authorities are required to have their schemes in place varies. Consult the timetable in Approval documentation to confirm the submission and scheme active dates that apply.