Freedom of Information
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Thornthwaite with Padside Parish Meeting

Publication Scheme under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 every parish meeting is required to adopt and maintain a publication scheme setting out the types of information it will make available, how that information can be obtained and whether a charge will be made for that information.  The purpose of this publication scheme is to be a means by which the parish meeting can make a significant amount of information available routinely. 

The scheme will ensure that the parish meeting will publish more information proactively, and help it to develop a greater culture of openness and transparency.  This parish meeting’s key responsibilities are to represent the electorate of its area, to take action within the legal framework and to provide a leadership focus for the community.

The scheme contains core classes that correspond with the main functions carried out by a parish meeting.  To take account that some parish meetings have developed additional responsibilities there are also a number of optional pieces of information within the core classes and a further three optional classes.

The parish meeting will make the information available in any one of the following ways:

·        available for inspection on request from the person named as responsible for maintaining the scheme.

·        a hard copy of the information may be supplied on request from the chairman of clerk/person named as responsible for maintaining the scheme.

Where a copy of the information is provided a reasonable charge may be made.

 

 

Core Classes of Information

 

 

1        Council Internal Practice and Procedure

 

Information

Format in which it is available

 

Eg. A hard copy is available from the named person on request

or,

available for inspection by contacting the named person.

 

Charge

for supply

(yes/no)

Minutes or notes of parish meetings and committee meetings (limited to last 2 years)

Inspection on request

Hard copy from Parish Clerk

Parish Web Site www.thornthwaite.org.uk

No

Yes

No

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2        Planning Documents

 

Information

Format in which it is available

Charge

for supply

(yes/no)

Responses to planning applications

Inspection on request

Hard copy from Parish Clerk

No

Yes

 

Exclusions – Planning Documents

 

Copies of planning consultations, the Development Plan, Structure Plan, Local Plan and Rights of Way/Footpath maps, all of which are available from the local planning and/or highway authority respectively.

 

 

3        Audit and Accounts

 

Information

Format in which it is available

Charge

for supply

(yes/no)

Annual return form – limited to the last financial year

Inspection on request

Hard Copy from Parish Clerk

No

Yes

Annual statutory report by auditor (internal and external) – limited to the last financial year

Inspection on request

Hard Copy from Parish Clerk

No

Yes

           

 

 

Optional Classes of Information

 

 

1                    Other financial information

 

Information

Format in which it is available

Charge

for supply

(yes/no)

Receipt/payment books, receipt books of all kinds, bank statements from all accounts – limited to the last financial year

Not Published

 

Precept request – limited to the last financial year

Not Published

 

 

 

Exclusions – Audit and Accounts

All commercially sensitive information, e.g. quotations and tenders, loan documentation and insurance policies.  With regard to quotations and tenders, this information is treated as confidential to ensure that the whole tender process is fair, i.e. if tender information is released to a third party prior to the end of the tender period, those who initially submitted tenders could be undercut and/or unfairly disadvantaged.

 

 

2                    Employment Practice and Procedure

 

Information

Format in which it is available

Charge

for supply

(yes/no)

Not Held – no employees

 

 

 

Exclusions – Employment Practice and Procedure

‘Personal records’, i.e. appraisals, employee specific salary details, disciplinary records, sickness records and the like by virtue of being personal data under the Data Protection Act 1998.

 

 

3                    Council Internal Practice and Procedure

 

Information

Format in which it is available

Charge

for supply

(yes/no)

Agendas and supporting papers for parish meeting– limited in each case to the forthcoming/ immediate meeting

Hard Copy from Parish Clerk

Parish Web Site www.thornthwaite.org.uk

 

Yes

No

 

 

4                    Development and Implementation of Policy

 

Information

Format in which it is available

Charge

for supply

(yes/no)

No Parish specific information is held

 

 

 

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