Our research library

Freedom of Information

Freedom of Information (FOI) has affected archive provision for both public records and private collections held in public institutions. Public records held by places of deposit are subject to FOI even if the place of deposit is not itself an FOI authority.

The National Archives has produced guidance for archivists and record managers on how FOI has affected the management of these records, as well as on how to handle access requests. The guidance is also intended to support public records bodies and places of deposit with regard to the two Codes of Practice issued under section 45 and section 46 of the FOI Act. This guidance can be found at the links below in pdf format:

• Procedures and guidance relating to public records transferred to and held by Places of Deposit (PDF, 972.52kb)

• Guidance on assessing whether deposited private archive collections are covered by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (PDF, 104.64kb)

• Guidance on Freedom of Information, publications scheme and paid research services (PDF, 55.31kb)

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