Feedback about a response to an information request

Devon County Council handles over 1300 requests for information under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and Freedom of Information Act 2000 annually.

The Council is also responsible for responding to hundreds of requests for access to personal data under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Most of those requests are responded to on time and to the satisfaction of the requester. However there may be circumstances when you feel it is necessary to raise a concern about a response or to query a decision we have made relating to a request.

How to raise your concern

If your concern is about a decision that the Council has taken following a request made under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 or the Freedom of Information Act 2000 we will treat this as an internal review within the Access to Information team.

To raise a concern about the response you have received to your information request please write to:

  • Email: You may address a concern to the Access to Information Manager in writing to accesstoinformation@devon.gov.uk.  Please quote your request reference number in any communications.
  • Post: If you would like to send your feedback by post, please address this to the Access to Information Manager, Room 170, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD.  Please quote your request reference number in any communications.

Please clearly outline the points you wish to raise as well as any other information you feel may help us resolve the issues you have highlighted.

The Access to Information team will then investigate the issues you have raised and will respond within 20 working days.

All feedback will be dealt with in accordance with the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs’ Code of Practice on the discharge of public authorities’ functions under Part I of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

What do I do if I remain dissatisfied?

If you remain dissatisfied with the Council’s response to your representation, you have the right to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who may then investigate your complaint and give an independent ruling on the issues you have raised in your complaint. Contact details for the ICO are included below:

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

Tel: 0303 123 1113

More details about how you can make a complaint to the ICO are available from http://ico.org.uk