This page contains information for people requesting information. It explains what a publication scheme is and how they operate as part of the Freedom of Information regime.
The Act requires all public authorities to produce, maintain, and disclose information in accordance with a publication scheme. These schemes set out what kinds of information the public authority will proactively make available, and how they will do it. All schemes must be approved by the Information Commissioner.
A publication scheme is not just a list of documents a public authority already publishes. Rather than specifying individual documents, it describes 'classes' or 'kinds' of information (such as minutes, reports etc.). It may also prescribe a charge for providing the information, particularly if the public authority already charged for providing that information before the introduction of Freedom of Information.
If you want to see information included in a public authority's publication scheme, you should request it in the normal way unless the publication scheme tells you to do something else.
More information on how requests are handled