Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
Guide to Information
And
Orkney Islands Council Publication Scheme
IMAGE: The Orkney Islands Council crest and wordmark appear above the document title, “Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002”, “Guide to Information”, “And”, and “Orkney Islands Council Publication Scheme”.
Document Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Document Name / Description | Guide to Information and OIC Publication Scheme |
| Version Number | V2.0 |
| Author | Paul Kesterton – Information Governance Officer |
| Approval Date | 18/02/2025 |
Summary of changes to document
| Date | Version Updated | New Version Number | Brief description of changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/01/2025 | 1.0 | 2.0 | Updated to include additionally available information and descriptions of types of information published. |
Introduction
Individuals can ask the Council to provide information that we hold and, provided it is both lawful and practical to do so, we will. In addition, the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 requires all Scottish public authorities to produce and maintain a Guide to Information and Publication Scheme showing the types of information which are routinely available from the Local Authority, and where this can be located.
Guide to Information
Orkney Islands Council has adopted the Model Publication Scheme 2017 produced by the Scottish Information Commissioner.
The purpose of this guide to information is to:
- Allow the public to see what information is available and what is not available in relation to each class of information.
- State what charges may be applied (for most information there is no charge).
- Explain how to find the information easily.
- Provide contact details for enquiries and how to get help with access to the information.
- Explain how to request information that we hold that has not been published.
Availability and formats
The information published by the Council is, wherever possible, available on our website. We can offer alternative arrangements for people who do not wish to, or who cannot, access the information online or by inspection at our premises. For example, we can usually arrange to send out information to you in a paper copy (although there may be a charge for this).
Exempt information
We will publish the information we hold that falls within the classes of information set out below. However if a document contains information that is exempt under Scotland’s freedom of information laws (for example it contains sensitive personal information or a trade secret), we may remove or redact the information before publication and explain why.
Copyright and re-use
Where Orkney Islands Council holds the copyright in its published information, the information (except logos) may be copied, reproduced and/or re-used without formal permission subject to your acceptance of the Open Government Licence for public sector information. This allows use and re-use of the information freely and flexibly with only a few conditions, such as:
- It is copied or reproduced accurately.
- It is not used in a misleading context; and
- The source of the material is identified.
The publication scheme may on occasion contain information where the copyright holder is not Orkney Islands Council. In most cases the copyright holder will be obvious from the documents, but in cases where copyright is unclear it is the responsibility of the person accessing the information to locate and seek the permission of the third-party copyright holder before reproducing the material.
Charges
Public Bodies are able to charge limited fees for requests made under the Act, but unless otherwise indicated all information contained within our scheme is available from us free of charge where it can be downloaded from our website or where it can be sent electronically by email.
In the event that a payment is required for the information you want you will be advised of the charge and how it has been calculated.
Any charges made will reflect the actual costs of reproduction and postage as set out below.
Reproduction costs
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Black and white copy | 15p per A4 sheet |
| Colour copy | 30p per A4 sheet |
Postage
Charged at the cost to the Council of sending the information by first class post.
Please note that if you are interested in a large printed document we can provide you with photocopies of selected relevant pages rather than charge you for a full printed copy of the document.
We do not make any charges for the inspection of any of the information which is made available in this publication scheme.
Contact Us
You can contact us for assistance with any aspect of this publication scheme at:
Orkney Islands Council
School Place
Kirkwall
Orkney
KW15 1NY
Email: foi@orkney.gov.uk
Telephone: 01856 873535
We will also advise you how to ask for information that we do not publish or how to complain if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the publication scheme. If you wish to make a request for information not contained in the publication scheme please contact us using our email address.
The Classes of Information that we publish
We publish information that we hold within the following classes. Once information is published under a class we will continue to make it available for the current and previous two financial years.
Where information has been updated or superseded only the current version will be available. If you would like to see previous versions you may make a request to us for that information.
CLASS 1: ABOUT ORKNEY ISLANDS COUNCIL
Class description:
Information about Orkney Islands Council – who we are, where to find us and contact details, how we are managed and our external relations.
| The information we publish under this class | How to access it |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| About Us – general information about the Authority | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/ |
| How to contact us | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/contact-us/ |
| Our Structure – departmental management structure | OIC Structure and Remits |
| Community Care - Information on how to access reports and publications relating to Orkney Health and Care's community care services | Community Care Services and Performance |
| Children and Families – Information and reports relating to children and family services and the Orkney child poverty strategy. | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/orkney-health-and-social-care-partnership/children-and-families/ |
| Transport – Details of travel and infrastructure provided by the Local Authority | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/transport/ |
| Leisure facilities – list of sites including, community centres, playing fields, pools and sports centres, play areas and allotments | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/leisure-and-culture/sport-and-leisure |
| Complaints and Compliments – Annual complaints reports, policies and complaints procedures. | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/complaints-compliments-and-feedback/ |
| Building standards – includes registers of Building Warrants applied for and Completion Certificates issued, and performance monitoring of the Service | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/planning-and-building/building-standards/ |
| Enforcement notices issued | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/environmental-health-and-trading-standards/environmental-health/enforcement-policy/ |
| Housing – information on Council homes for rent, housing stock and tenants charter | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/housing/ |
| How the Authority is Run | |
| Committees – Diary of council meetings and committees | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/our-meetings/committees-sub-committees-and-boards/ |
| Constitution and Governance - Standing Orders and main governance documents | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/media/q5ejitia/standing-orders.pdf |
| Councillors Code of Conduct | Code of Conduct for Elected Members |
| Declarations of Interest – list of elected members of the Council and their Declarations of Interest | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/councillors/councillors/ |
| Elections – previous election results and electoral arrangements | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/elections/ |
| Performance Monitoring – Annual performance reports produced by the Council | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/how-were-performing/ |
| Charges | |
| Charges – All fees charged by the Council in relation to Council services. | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/finances-services/council-charges/ |
| Parking Charges – Location of Council run car parks and charges applied (OIC responsibility only applicable to off-street parking) | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/roads-lighting-and-parking/parking-and-car-parks/ |
| Burial Services – charges for burial services, map of burial grounds and management plan | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/law-and-licensing/births-marriages-deaths-and-burials/burial-services/ |
CLASS 2: HOW WE DELIVER OUR FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES
Class Description:
Information about our work, our strategy and policies for delivering functions and services and information for our service users.
| The information we publish under this class | How to access it |
|---|---|
| Corporate Planning | |
| Corporate Strategic Plan – Council delivery plan setting out key priorities and actions and projects to meet them over the next five years | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/our-plans/council-plan/ |
| Community Planning – Orkney’s Local Outcomes Improvement Plan | orkney-community-plan-2025-2030-january-2025.pdf |
| Council Plans - Information on Orkney Islands Council's long term plan and Council risk register | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/our-plans/ |
| Orkney Local Development plan – Development plans, scheduled monuments in Orkney, historic properties in care and map of natural heritage sites | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/planning-and-building/development-and-marine-planning-policy/development-planning-land/orkney-local-development-plan/ |
| Other Associated Organisations | |
| Orkney Islands Area Licensing Board – Licensing Board information and policies | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/our-meetings/committees-sub-committees-and-boards/orkney-islands-area-licensing-board/ |
| Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board – performance indicators and statistics on Council Tax valuation rolls. Electoral registers | http://www.orkney-shetland-vjb.co.uk/ |
| Orkney Ferries Limited – Fares, timetables and service information for Orkney’s inter-island ferries | https://www.orkneyferries.co.uk/ |
| Orkney Towage Limited – Standard conditions for towage and other services and towage spec sheets | https://www.orkneyharbours.com/services/towage |
CLASS 3: HOW WE TAKE DECISIONS AND WHAT WE HAVE DECIDED
Class description:
Information about the decisions we take, how we make decisions and how we involve others
| The information we publish under this class | How to access it |
|---|---|
| Councillors and committee memberships – List of elected member appointments to committees, sub-committees and other groups | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/media/tp3f153c/elected-member-appointments.pdf |
| Orkney Islands Council Meetings Calendar – List of Council meetings, agendas and minutes | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/our-meetings/ |
| Public Consultations and Engagement – List of current and previous consultation and engagement activity undertaken by Orkney Islands Council | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/get-involved/ |
| Planning Decisions and Applications – Planning application details and appeals documents, including applications where an Environmental Impact Assessment has been carried out by the Council | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/planning-and-building/planning/application-search-and-submission/ |
| Alcohol Licensing - Orkney Islands Council’s public registers for Premises and Personal licences | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/law-and-licensing/licence-applications/alcohol-licensing/current-register-of-premises-and-personal-licences/ |
CLASS 4: WHAT WE SPEND AND HOW WE SPEND IT
Class description:
Information about our strategy for, and management of, financial resources, to explain how we plan to spend public money and what has actually been spent.
| The information we publish under this class | How to access it |
|---|---|
| Financial Resources | |
| General Finance Information – Budgets and accounting, Orkney Islands Council key financial facts and figures. | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/finances-services/ |
| Revenue Estimates - The Council’s approved budgets are reflected in the Revenue Estimates document published annually by Orkney Islands Council | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/finances-services/budgets-and-accounting/revenue-estimates/ |
| Financial Statements – Statements and financial Policies for Budget Allocation, Board Member Remuneration and Investment and Endowment Information | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/finances-services/budgets-and-accounting/statement-of-accounts/ |
| Financial Regulations and Expenses Policies and Procedures | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/policies/financial-regulations/ |
| Councillors’ Records of Claims - includes costs for salaries and expenditure incurred by each Councillor on items such as travel expenses, information services and conference fees | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/councillors/councillors/record-of-claims/ |
| Pension fund annual reports | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/finances-services/budgets-and-accounting/pension-fund-annual-reports/ |
| Funding Awards Available from the Authority | |
| Financial assistance and advice | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/enterprise-and-economic-growth/business-development/financial-assistance-and-advice/ |
| Council Grant and Funds – Information on the programme of grant support schemes which together aim to support Orkney businesses to increase employment and strengthen the Orkney Economy | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/grants-and-funds/ |
| Grants, Education and Maintenance Allowances and Bursaries – Details on funding available to support students | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/education-and-learning/grants-emas-and-bursaries/ |
| Scottish Welfare Fund – Information on crisis and community care grants | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/council-tax-and-benefits/scottish-welfare-fund/ |
CLASS 5: HOW WE MANAGE OUR HUMAN, PHYSICAL AND INFORMATION RESOURCES
Class description:
Information about how we manage the human, physical and information resources of the authority.
| The information we publish under this class | How to access it |
|---|---|
| Human Resources | |
| Human Resources Policies | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/our-structure/human-resources/ |
| Equality and Diversity – Includes Orkney Islands Council Equality and Diversity strategy and annual equality report | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/policies/equality-and-diversity/ |
| Physical Resources | |
| Corporate Asset Management Plan | Corporate Asset Management Plan |
| Carbon Management Programme | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/your-council/policies/carbon-management-programme/ |
| Orkney Islands Council Properties for Sale or Lease | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/enterprise-and-economic-growth/property/ |
| Orkney Islands Council Asset Register – List of land and buildings owned or leased by the Council | https://concerto.orkney.gov.uk/content/site_public_page.aspx |
| Fleet and Plant Asset Management Plan | Fleet and Plant Asset Management Plan |
| Electric Vehicle Charging Points – map and list of models of chargers | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/roads-lighting-and-parking/electric-vehicle-ev-charging/ |
| Information Resources | |
| Records Management Policy | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/media/t54p1dlt/records-management-policy-12-1.pdf |
| Data Protection Policy | Data Protection Policy |
| Freedom of Information Policies and Procedures | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/contact-us/freedom-of-information/ |
CLASS 6: HOW WE PROCURE GOODS AND SERVICES FROM EXTERNAL PROVIDERS
Class description:
Information about how we procure goods and services, and our contracts with external providers
| The information we publish under this class | How to access it |
|---|---|
| Council Procurement Process – how we buy goods, services and works | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/enterprise-and-economic-growth/procurement/ |
| Procurement Annual Report – sets out a summary of the Council’s procurement and related services for a wide range of works, supplies and services | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/enterprise-and-economic-growth/procurement/procurement-annual-report-2023-2024/ |
| Current awards and Procurement Activity – available on the Public Contracts Scotland website | Public Contracts Scotland |
CLASS 7: HOW WE ARE PERFORMING
Class description:
Information about how we perform as an organisation, and how well we deliver our functions and services.
CLASS 8: OUR COMMERCIAL PUBLICATIONS
Class description:
Information packaged and made available for sale on a commercial basis and sold at a market value through a retail outlet e.g. a bookshop, museum or research journal.
Orkney Islands Council does not hold or publish information under this class.
CLASS 9: OPEN DATA
Class description:
Open data made available by the authority as described by the Scottish Government’s Open Data Resource Pack and available under an open license.
| The information we publish under this class | How we access it |
|---|---|
| Orkney Islands Council Open Data Plan | https://www.orkney.gov.uk/media/2eumvlvm/open_data_plan.pdf |