Home > About Ofcom > Compliance, Accessibility and Diversity > Freedom of Information Act 2000 > FOI Act pubs scheme

Introduction

What is Ofcom?

Ofcom is the regulator for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services.

Ofcom exists to further the interests of citizen-consumers as the communications industries enter the digital age.

To do this Ofcom shall:

• balance the promotion of choice and competition with the duty to foster plurality, informed citizenship, protect viewers, listeners and customers and promote cultural diversity;
• serve the interests of the citizen-consumer as the communications industry enters the digital age;
• support the need for innovators, creators and investors to flourish within markets driven by full and fair competition between all providers; and
• encourage the evolution of electronic media and communications networks to the greater benefit of all who live in the United Kingdom.

Ofcom is a statutory corporation. It is required to report annually to Parliament. The Communications Act 2003 (the ‘Comms Act’) provides that Ofcom is subject to inspection by the National Audit Office, and Ofcom is accountable to the Public Accounts Committee for propriety and value for money. The Comms Act also provides that Ofcom’s Annual Report shall be laid before Parliament.

Ofcom is structured so that the main decision making body of Ofcom is its Board. This Board is a unitary Board with a mix of executive (including the Chief Executive) and non-executive members (including the Chairman); it has been deliberately established in this manner to replicate the boards of the companies that Ofcom regulates. Ofcom does not have a Director-General with sole decision making responsibility or a Board consisting of entirely part-time members or a body of commissioners (which were the models in the regulators that Ofcom has replaced).

Ofcom has a number of committees and advisory bodies which either have been given delegated powers by the main Ofcom Board or offer advice to the main Ofcom Board. These committees and advisory bodies, include the Content Board, the Consumer Panel, the Nations and Regions Advisory Committees and the Older Persons and Disabled Persons Advisory Committee.

Outline of the Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the ‘Act’) establishes a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities. It sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on public authorities. The Act applies to Ofcom as Ofcom is a public authority.

Individuals already have the right to access information about themselves under the Data Protection Act. From January 2005, the Freedom of Information Act will extend this right of access to all types of information. The Freedom of Information Act is enforced by the Information Commissioner. Detailed information on the Act is available on the Information Commissioner’s website: www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
or by writing to:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Email: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk

General enquiry telephone: 01625 545 700

Applicants will not be required to mention the Act when making a request for information. The request must however be in a permanent form, for instance in writing or by email.

A response must in general be provided within 20 working days. A public authority may ask for further information which it reasonably requires in order to identify and locate the information requested. If a fee is required, the period of 20 working days is extendable by up to three months until the fee is paid.

How Ofcom’s publication scheme works

In accordance with Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act and the Information Commissioner’s guidelines, Ofcom has published this publication scheme (the ‘scheme’) so that it is clear what information is easily accessible without the need for individuals to make a specific request. The scheme specifies:

• the classes of information we publish;
• the manner in which it is published; and
• where the information is available free of charge and where charges are made.

We will produce our scheme in English but will also provide it in Welsh, in large print for people with a visual impairment, or in formats suitable for people with dyslexia. We can also provide it in Braille or on audiotape on request.

Approval and review

The scheme was approved by the Information Commissioner for a period of four years until 29 February 2008. The scheme will therefore be formerly reviewed in February 2008. Our website is updated daily and we will regularly review the scheme to ensure it is up to date and provides as much information as possible.

Charges for information

All of the information described in this scheme is available free of charge on the Ofcom website at www.ofcom.org.uk.

Although there is no charge for the majority of paper copies of information, in some cases information which is free of charge on the website may in paper format be a publication for which there is a charge.

A charge may also be made if multiple copies or large numbers of documents are requested. Requests for information which is archived may also incur a charge. Charges will be based on costs of retrieval, photocopying and postage. When you request information, you will be informed of any charge. Charges are payable in advance, by cheque.

Copyright

All material in Ofcom’s scheme on the website is owned by Ofcom or is licensed to Ofcom and is protected by copyright, trade marks, or other proprietary rights and laws.

Unless indicated as Crown owned material or otherwise, the material may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Ofcom copyright and the title of the document/publication specified.

Any enquiries regarding copyright information not published on the Ofcom website should be addressed to contact@ofcom.org.uk by email or letter to Ofcom, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA.

As to the use of Crown owned material, please refer to HMSO at www.hmso.gov.uk or contact them on Tel: 01603 621 000.

Obtaining information

Most of the information described in this Scheme is available on the Ofcom website at www.ofcom.org.uk, or is available as paper copies. If you do not have access to our website, cannot find information or wish to obtain paper copies, please contact us by letter, fax or email.

If you require help or advice in accessing information, you can telephone the Ofcom Contact Centre on

Telephone: 0300 123 3333
Textphone: 0300 123 2024
Welsh Line: 0300 123 2023

Address letters to:

Information Requests
Ofcom
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 9HA

Fax: information requests on 0300 123 0811
Email: information.requests@ofcom.org.uk

Overall responsibility for the Scheme is held by the Secretary to the Corporation who can be contacted at:

The Secretary to the Corporation
The Office of Communications
2A, Riverside House
Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 9HA

Telephone: 020 79813601
Fax: 0300 123 0811
Email: graham.howell@ofcom.org.uk

Information requested from Ofcom will be supplied as soon as possible and practicable.

Complaints and enquiries about Ofcom’s scheme

If you have a complaint or enquiry about the scheme you should

Write to the Secretary of the Corporation

Or

Phone the Ofcom Contact Centre

Classes of information which Ofcom publishes

In preparing the scheme, Ofcom has considered the various classes of information that it makes available, will continue to make available and information which will be made available in due course as Ofcom develops its policies and strategies. All the information detailed below is, or will become, available on the Ofcom website. These categories will be reviewed on a regular basis and this scheme will be updated regularly as Ofcom develops its regulatory approach.

General Information about Ofcom

It consists of:

• Annual Reports, Annual Plans and budgets; Ofcom will publish an Annual Report and Accounts each year together with an Annual Plan which will set out both what Ofcom has accomplished and what it plans to do.
• Details of the Members of the Board, the Content Board, the Consumer Panel and all Advisory Committees together with details of the remits of each Board/Committee and agenda for meetings of such bodies and notes of their meetings.
• The Code of Conduct applicable to the Board and the register of the Board’s disclosable interests.
• Ofcom’s mission, regulatory principles, statutory duties and values and a breakdown of how Ofcom works.
• How Ofcom engages with Parliament and Ministers through correspondence and attendance at Parliamentary Committees, how it raises funds to cover its operating costs and the arrangements between Ofcom and other regulators.
• Ofcom’s data protection statement and details of how to complain about Ofcom.
• Details of Ofcom’s offices throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• Speeches made by Board members of Ofcom and other senior executives of Ofcom.
• Ofcom’s publication calendar for each financial year.
• Jobs at Ofcom, details of tenders and arrangements for procurement.
• All news releases released by Ofcom.
• Details of the previous regulators in the communications sector.

Codes and policies

It consists of:

• all codes and policies relating to radio and television broadcasting including programme, advertising and sponsorship codes;
• Ofcom’s guidance for the public interest test for media mergers;
• guidelines for handling of standards and fairness and privacy complaints;
• outline Procedure for statutory sanctions in content cases;
• all policies relating to licensing of radiocommunications licences including aeronautical, maritime, citizen’s band amateur radio and business radio;
• interference guidelines and enforcement policies for radiocommunications;
• all codes and policies relating to telecommunications; and
• details of Ofcom’s penalty guidelines.
  

Competition and complaints bulletins

It consists of:

• Programme Complaints Bulletins;
• Advertising Complaints Bulletins;
• Content Sanction Committee Adjudications;
• Competition Bulletins including open and closed cases; and
• Guidelines for handling competition complaints.

Consultations

It consists of:

• how Ofcom consults;
• details of all Ofcom consultations (including strategic review) both current and closed; and
• published responses to consultations.

Research

It consists of:

• all consumer and audience research in telecommunications, radio and television;
• all industry, market and technology research in the communications sector; and
• all Ofcom’s published specialist reports.

Consumer information

It consists of:

• consumer guides on all aspects of radio, television, telecommunications and wireless services; and
• Ofcom provides links to the web-site of the Consumer Panel and the memorandum of understanding between Ofcom and the Consumer Panel

Industry groups and information

It consists of:

• information useful to all parts of the communications sector;
• details of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator and any other adjudicators appointed by Ofcom; and
• details of any co-regulatory arrangements.

Licensing and numbering

It consists of:

• all issued television licences together with guidance notes on the application process;
• details of the general authorisation regime for telecommunications licences and contact details for telecoms licensees;
• all issued radio broadcasting licences together with guidance notes on the application process and details of all applications;
• the process for applying for a radiocommunications licence; and
• details of UK telephone numbers and the process for applying for telephone numbers from the National Numbering Scheme together with information on numbering policy including number portability.

Information which is not available on request

As a regulator, Ofcom aims to be as transparent as possible and proactively to make as much information as it can available. Ofcom does, however, have to balance transparency with confidentiality as Ofcom is in receipt of much information which may not be appropriate for publication.

Under the Act Ofcom is entitled to rely on certain exemptions to provision of information where such information is, for example, commercially sensitive, an unwarranted invasion of privacy, confidential or not in the public interest and to disclose it would hamper Ofcom’s ability to fulfil its regulatory duties. In such circumstances Ofcom will not make such information available.

Section 22 of the Act also permits Ofcom to refuse to release requested information if that information is intended for publication at a subsequent date.

Complaints

In the first instance an individual should complain to Ofcom about the way a request for information has been handled. This should be addressed to:

The Secretary to the Corporation
The Office of Communications
2A, Riverside House
Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 9HA

Telephone: 020 7981 3601
Fax: 020 7783 4033
Email: graham.howell@ofcom.org.uk

If the individual remains dissatisfied then the complaint should be forwarded to the Information Commissioner by writing to:

FOI Compliance Team (complaints)
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

• Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Ofcom’s publication scheme [pdf]

Back to top