The obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the Act”) apply to public authorities. Section 3(1) provides that a “public authority” includes a body or office which is listed in Schedule 1. That list may be added to by an order under section 4(1), provided that the conditions in section 4(2) and (3) are satisfied. By section 4(6), an order under section 4(1) may relate to a specified person or office or to persons or offices falling within a specified description.

Article 2(1) adds references to the bodies and offices listed in Part 1 of the Schedule to this Order to Part 6 of Schedule 1 to the Act (other public bodies and offices: general).

Article 2(2) adds references to the bodies and offices listed in Part 2 of the Schedule to this Order to Part 7 of Schedule 1 to the Act (other public bodies and offices: Northern Ireland).

The bodies and offices added to Schedule 1 to the Act by this Order are public bodies. An Impact Assessment has not been carried out because there are no regulatory implications for business or the voluntary sector. A public sector Impact Assessment has not been carried out because the change covered by the instrument does not impose new costs of more than £5 million per annum on any of the public bodies covered by the instrument.