Who can I request information from?
WhatDoTheyKnow covers requests to 46,318 authorities, including:
- Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council 3755 requests
- Kent County Council 2707 requests
- British Broadcasting Corporation 4256 requests
- Department for Work and Pensions 13449 requests
- Ministry of Defence 7957 requests
Looking for an EU Authority?
You can request documents directly from EU Institutions at our sister site AskTheEU.org . Find out more .
What information has been released?
WhatDoTheyKnow users have made 957,943 requests, including:
-
Lancaster City Council answered a request about List of council-funded women-only swimming sessions
about 14 hours ago
-
Newnham College, Cambridge answered a request about G400 Computer Science Admission Statistics
about 12 hours ago
-
Westmorland and Furness Council answered a request about Great Musgrave road closure
about 14 hours ago
-
Myerscough College answered a request about Reply to complaints re Gables Farm
about 15 hours ago
-
Bristol City Council answered a request about Communications between council and police around Kill The Bill protests
about 14 hours ago
Latest news and campaigns
As time goes by
By law, a public authority usually has to respond to a request made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 promptly, and within 20 working days. However, there are instances...
Read postFOI helps campaigns — sometimes in unexpected ways
Several Olympics team members have trained and competed on the athletics track in Tooting Bec, London, and it’s a valued facility for local schools and athletics clubs alike. But by...
Read postPaul Bradshaw and WhatDoTheyKnow
Paul Bradshaw’s name is well known to those working around data and journalism in the UK. He has authored and contributed to several books on the topic, leads an MA...
Read postEver more transparency for Alaveteli
Here at WhatDoTheyKnow, mySociety’s service which publishes Freedom of Information requests and responses online, we care a lot about how transparent public authorities are. That being so, it’s only right...
Read postOur videos about Freedom of Information
Civic Tech Surgery: Accessing quality information
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Workshop: What can you do with FOI?
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Source & manage Freedom of Information data for impactful investigations & campaigns with Alaveteli
Watch on YouTubeOur Freedom of Information Research
What are environmental information requests and how do they differ in Scotland?
Understanding what makes Environmental Information special in Freedom of Information and the (minor) differences in how this is interpreted in Scotland.
Read articleImproving oversight of Access to Information
The right to access information requires high quality oversight. Studies of effectiveness of Access to Information (ATI) legislation tells a clear story: the benefits of greater transparency and access to information can only be realised when this sy[...]
Read articlemySociety response to “Call for Evidence: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation”
Response to Ministry of Justice consultation
Read articleMapping the online Access To Information network in Europe
Mapping Access to Information website challenges and successes in Europe
Read articleFreedom of Information is good, and stops bad things happening
ARIA's exclusion from FOI is part of a broader attack on government transparency.
Read articleNetwork Rail: how accounting definitions of control can expand FOI/EIR coverage
Appealing to the Court of Accountants.
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