Freedom of information
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) introduced a general right of access to all non-confidential information held by public bodies such as councils.
Quick links
Types of information people request from us include statistics, reports, minutes of meetings and council procedures.
How to request information
You can submit your request online using the quick link above.
You should receive an acknowledgement within one working day, and receive your information within 20 working days, unless any exemptions apply. The Information Commissioner’s website has more information about exemptions.
You can read our publication scheme online.
FOI re-use and copyright
Any information we supply to you under FOIA should be for your personal use. We retain copyright to all information we disclose.
It would be helpful if you could tell us if you plan to re-use or publish the information we give you when you first make your request, and your reason for requesting the information.
This will help us make sure you get exactly what you want, and will also help us consider what needs to be done regarding any permission you may need to obtain.
Information released under FOI can be re-used free of charge under an open government licence. Please read how you can do that by following the below link:
Other information may incur a marginal cost under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations before re-use is allowed. Information that can be transmitted to you electronically will not normally incur such a cost. Please email us at info.requests@leicester.gov.uk your re-use requests.
What information have we released in the past?
Since the Freedom of Information Act came into force on 1 January 2005, we have sent responses to thousands of requests. We are now publishing responses online in our disclosure log.
If you would like a copy of any information we have previously released, you can contact us, and we aim to send it to you within five working days.
You can also request environmental information under the act. The Information Commissioner’s Office website has more details.
Our performance
The Information Commissioner's Office sets a target of 90 per cent for FOI requests to be answered on time. Below are the performance results of previous years:
| Year | Number of freedom of information requests answered on time |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 91% |
| 2013 | 97% |
| 2014 | 99% |
| 2015 | 99% |
| 2016 | 98% |
| 2017 | 97% |
| 2018 | 95% |
| 2019 | 98% |
| 2020 | 91% |
| 2021 | 99% |
| 2022 | 98% |
We publish our freedom of information (FOI) requests, as required by the Freedom of Information Act Code of Practice at data.leicester.gov.uk.
Exemptions
Some information may be withheld if an ‘exemption’ applies. To see what kind of information may be withheld, visit www.cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk (PDF).