Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires all public authorities to make information that they hold publicly available. All such bodies must produce a Publication Scheme, providing details of:

• the classes of information that the body publishes or intends to publish;
•  the manner in which information of each class is, or is intended to be, published;
• whether the material is, or is intended to be, available to the public free of charge or on payment.

The Assets Recovery Agency’s Publication Scheme was presented to the Information Commissioner in June 2003 and approved by the Commissioner in August 2003 for the period from 12 August 2003 to 30 November 2006. This version of the scheme, published on the Agency’s website on 01 January 2005, takes account of comments received from the Commissioner on the initial version.

This scheme provides details of all the classes of information that the Agency publishes or intends to publish; the manner of their publication; and the Agency’s policy on charges.

The Agency has other information, some of which it may be prepared to release on request. ARA will consider carefully all requests for access to information, whether under the terms of the existing Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information or, from 1 January 2005, under the statutory right of access provided by the Freedom of Information Act. As a public body, ARA is committed to making the maximum amount of information available to the public about its work. At the same time, the nature of the Agency’s work means that there will be occasions when it is necessary for us to withhold certain information, in reliance on the exemptions in the Government’s Code of Practice on Access to Government Information and, from January 2005, those in the Act. Our policy is to withhold information, in reliance on the exemptions, only in exceptional circumstances.

The information detailed in this scheme is routinely available and, where it cannot be accessed directly, will be provided in the shortest timescale possible.

Wherever possible, information detailed in our Publication Scheme will be available through our website, at www.assetsrecovery.gov.uk

If you do not have access to the internet, or the information you seek is not included in our Publication Scheme, please contact the Assets Recovery Agency at:

Email: foi@ara.gsi.gov.uk

Telephone: 020 7029 5700

Write to:

Policy Unit
Assets Recovery Agency
PO Box 39992
LONDON
EC4M 7XQ

The Publication Scheme is maintained on a day-to-day basis by ARA’s Policy Team. Overall responsibility rests with the Director of the Assets Recovery Agency.