Contributing 

How long should a council keep its records?

Leia Doyle

How long should a council keep its records?

Records which must be kept indefinitely [or for approximately 100 years] for legal and/or administrative purposes, and/or are of enduring value for historical research purposes and so suitable for transfer to the authority’s archive or place of deposit. Place of deposit. Usually the local authority’s Record Office.

Does freedom of information apply to councils?

London Councils is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. It also means that members of the public can ask us for any recorded information that we hold on any subject and we have a duty to provide them with that information unless an exemption applies.

What is the legislation that ensures public access to some council documents?

The most important piece of legislation for parish council law and procedure is the Local Government Act 1972 (“the Act”). All local authorities are required to conduct their business in an open and transparent way and must comply with statutory requirements in relation to decision making and activities undertaken.

How do I request information from a local council?

For your request to be dealt with according to the Freedom of Information Act, you must:

  1. contact the relevant council directly;
  2. make the request in writing, either by letter or email;
  3. give your real name; and.
  4. give an address to which the authority can reply. This can be a postal or email address.

What is the legal retention period for documents?

six years
As mentioned, many legal documents are kept for six years, as this is the primary limitation period under the Limitation Act 1980. These include records related to: County Court Litigation.

Who is responsible for managing records?

Records managers oversee an organisation’s records from their creation and preservation through to disposal. Typical responsibilities include: establishing new records management systems. developing, maintaining, verifying and evaluating existing systems.

What are the nine exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act UK?

Non-absolute Exemptions – public interest test does apply:

Section of the FOI Act Exemption
S(2) 36 Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs
S(2) 38 Health & Safety
S(2) 39 Environmental information
S(2) 40 Personal information relating to a third party

What documents the local authority is required to publish before any meeting?

minutes and agendas of public meetings; • documents it is required to make public by other legislation, such as the Local Government Act 1972; • minutes of senior-level policy and strategy meetings, eg board meetings; and • any background documents which are referred to in the agenda or minutes, or were circulated in …

Can parish councils meet in private?

Currently, all parish council meetings, including committees, must be open to the public unless they are excluded because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted. It is good practice for parish councils to allow the public to engage with members of the Council on matters of interest to them.

How do I request a SAR?

If you wish to make a subject access request, there is no particular format for doing so – you can simply write to or email the organisation and ask it to provide all of the information about you it is required to disclose under the Data Protection Act.

How do I request a freedom of information?

For your request to be dealt with according to the Freedom of Information Act, you must:

  1. contact the relevant authority directly;
  2. make the request in writing, for example in a letter or an email.
  3. give your real name; and.
  4. give an address to which the authority can reply.

What are examples of retention period?

For example, if financial records have a retention period of five years, and the records were created during the 1995-1996 fiscal year (July 1, 1995 – June 30, 1996), the five-year retention period begins on July 1, 1996 and ends five years later on July 1, 2001.

What are the three main types of records?

Types of records

  • Correspondence records. Correspondence records may be created inside the office or may be received from outside the office.
  • Accounting records. The records relating to financial transactions are known as financial records.
  • Legal records.
  • Personnel records.
  • Progress records.
  • Miscellaneous records.

    How do you manage records?

    8 Steps to Effective Records Management

    1. Determine what records you need to have.
    2. Take inventory to see what records you are keeping.
    3. Create a document retention schedule based on legal requirements and business needs.
    4. Figure out the best way to store each type of record.
    5. Create a location for records storage.

    Why would someone make a FOIA request?

    What is the FOIA? Since 1967, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has provided the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government.