Part I

Access to information held by public authorities

Right to information

Public authorities to which Act has limited application
7
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.
3
The Secretary of State 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.
4
Before making an order under subsection (3), the Secretary of State shall—
a
if the order relates to the National Assembly for Wales or a Welsh public authority, consult the National Assembly 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.
8
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 Secretary of State for the purposes of this subsection.
9
In this section “publicly-owned company” has the meaning given by section 6.