Freedom of Information
Please note: this page refers to the Freedom of Information Act and the records held by the County Record Office only. For details of how to access other Warwickshire County Council information, please visit the Warwickshire County Council Access to Information page.
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| What is the Freedom of Information Act? |  |
The Freedom of Information Act came into full force in January 2005. It gives everyone an opportunity to find out what publicly funded bodies do, and how they do it. One of its key aims is to make public authorities more accountable and open.
Warwickshire County Record Office is part of Warwickshire County Council. This means that the archives and other information that we hold are covered by the Freedom of Information Act, as well as information and records about the management of Warwickshire County Council services.
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| How does it help me to access the records held by the County Record Office ? |
The Freedom of Information Act governs the way we deal with requests for information held in records that are unavailable for general consultation in the public searchroom. These would be records that are of a sensitive or confidential nature such as some medical, coroners’ and court records.
Whilst the Act gives you the right to ask for such information, it does not mean that all information requested will be released, as the Act lists a number of “exemptions” – categories of information that cannot be released.
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| How do I make an FOI request? |
If you would like access to information contained in records that are unavailable for general consultation, you should write to or email us with details of what you want to see. Or, if you prefer, you can complete and return a PDF request form using the link below. If you don’t have software that can read the file, then click on the icon below to download Adobe Acrobat.
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| What if I am not happy with the final response? |
If you have any concerns about the way we have dealt with your request, please write to or email the Head of Heritage and Culture (Archives), Mrs Caroline Sampson, who will investigate your complaint in accordance with Warwickshire County Council’s Complaints Procedure.
If you wish to appeal against our decision to withhold all or part of the information you requested, then again, please write to or email the Head of Heritage and Culture (Archives), Mrs Sampson, who will carry out an internal review. She will then reply to you with her decision. If you are still not happy with the decision after appeal to us, you can apply to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
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| Please note: | |
If you write to us about access to information which is freely available for consultation in our public searchroom, we will let you know the arrangements for using our facilities and services.
Similarly, if you want to use our paid research service, we will send you details and an application form, or you can download an application form from the enquiry and research services page.
If you need further advice, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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| Useful links | | |
Warwickshire County Council Access to Information page
Information Commissioner's Office website
Ministry of Justice website |
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