print this page | close

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

The Freedom of Information Act 2000, requires that all public authorities, including Hexham Town Council, adopt and maintain a publication scheme. This is Hexham Town Council's scheme under the Act.
[Extracted from the Standing Orders of the Council]

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the Council has adopted a Publication Scheme which requires the following information to be published:

a Agendas and minutes limited to the last two years
b Standing Orders
c Annual reports to Parish meeting. [These are contained within the minutes]
d Declaration of Acceptance of Office [These are contained within the minutes]
e Members register of interests
f Register of interests declared. [These are contained within the minutes]
g Review of the Council area
h Likewise for the last Boundary review
i Terms and Conditions of Employment of staff
j Job descriptions
k Responses to planning applications. [These are contained within the minutes]
l Annual financial return limited to the last year. [These are contained within the minutes]
m Annual report by Auditors, limited to the last year. [These are contained within the minutes]
n Receipt/Payment books and receipts, bank statements, limited to the last year
o Assets register. [These are contained within the financial accounts]
p Risk assessements. [These are contained within the minutes]

Matters agreed by the Council as confidential are not to be made available and this includes, though not exclusively, individual records of grave plots and grave purchases, allotment tenancies, rents paid, fees and salaries, staff appraisals, sickness records, payments made to or by the Council to individuals. General correspondence received or sent by the Council may not be included because of laws relating to privacy and under the Data Protection Act 1998.

The fee for researching and providing any information requested under this Standing Order shall be £25.00 and the charge for copies of any information requested shall be £0.50 per [A4] page.