Part I Access to information held by public authorities

Right to information

11 Means by which communication to be made.

1

Where, on making his request for information, the applicant expresses a preference for communication by any one or more of the following means, namely—

a

the provision to the applicant of a copy of the information in permanent form or in another form acceptable to the applicant,

b

the provision to the applicant of a reasonable opportunity to inspect a record containing the information, and

c

the provision to the applicant of a digest or summary of the information in permanent form or in another form acceptable to the applicant,

the public authority shall so far as reasonably practicable give effect to that preference.

2

In determining for the purposes of this section whether it is reasonably practicable to communicate information by particular means, the public authority may have regard to all the circumstances, including the cost of doing so.

3

Where the public authority determines that it is not reasonably practicable to comply with any preference expressed by the applicant in making his request, the authority shall notify the applicant of the reasons for its determination.

4

Subject to subsection (1), a public authority may comply with a request by communicating information by any means which are reasonable in the circumstances.