Part I Access to information held by public authorities

Right to information

7 Public authorities to which Act has limited application.

1

Where a public authority is listed in Schedule 1 only in relation to information of a specified description, nothing in Parts I to V of this Act applies to any other information held by the authority.

2

An order under section 4(1) may, in adding an entry to Schedule 1, list the public authority only in relation to information of a specified description.

C13

The F1Secretary of StateF7or the F3Minister for the Cabinet Office may by order amend Schedule 1—

a

by limiting to information of a specified description the entry relating to any public authority, or

b

by removing or amending any limitation to information of a specified description which is for the time being contained in any entry.

C24

Before making an order under subsection (3), the F1Secretary of StateF8or the F4Minister for the Cabinet Office shall—

F2a

if the order relates to the National Assembly for Wales or a Welsh public authority referred to in section 83(1)(b)(ii) (subsidiary of the Assembly Commission), consult the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales,

aa

if the order relates to the Welsh Assembly Government or a Welsh public authority other than one referred to in section 83(1)(b)(ii), consult the First Minister for Wales,

b

if the order relates to the Northern Ireland Assembly, consult the Presiding Officer of that Assembly, and

c

if the order relates to a Northern Ireland department or a Northern Ireland public authority, consult the First Minister and deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland.

5

An order under section 5(1)(a) must specify the functions of the public authority designated by the order with respect to which the designation is to have effect; and nothing in Parts I to V of this Act applies to information which is held by the authority but does not relate to the exercise of those functions.

6

An order under section 5(1)(b) must specify the services provided under contract with respect to which the designation is to have effect; and nothing in Parts I to V of this Act applies to information which is held by the public authority designated by the order but does not relate to the provision of those services.

7

Nothing in Parts I to V of this Act applies in relation to any information held by a publicly-owned company which is excluded information in relation to that company.

C28

In subsection (7) “excluded information”, in relation to a publicly-owned company, means information which is of a description specified in relation to that company in an order made by the F1Secretary of StateF6or the F5Minister for the Cabinet Office for the purposes of this subsection.

9

In this section “publicly-owned company” has the meaning given by section 6.