Section 19[1] of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to adopt and
maintain a publication scheme, to publish information in accordance with its
scheme and, from time to time, review its publication scheme.
Section
19[2]of the Act sets out the requirements for a publication scheme as
follows:
A publication scheme must:
(a) specify what classes of
information that the authority publishes or intend to publish
(b) specify the
manner in which information of each class is, or is intended to be, published;
and
(c) specify whether the material is, or is intended to be, available to
the public free of charge or on payment
Section 19[3] states that "in
adopting or reveiwing a publication scheme, a public authority shall have regard
to the public interest in allowing public access to information held by the
authority and in the publication of reasons for decisions made by the public
authority".
The scheme submitted by Thirsk Town Council has been approved
by the Information Commissioner, the scheme will come into force on 28th
February 2003 until 28 February 2007*
*This has now been provisionally
extended for a further two years.
Name of public authority:-THIRSK TOWN COUNCIL
Address:-49a
Market Place, THIRSK, North Yorkshire. YO7 1HA
Thirsk Town Council has
adopted the model scheme titled:-Model Publication Scheme for Local
Councils(Core Classes, plus optional Information within core classes and
optional classes of information) produced in accordance with section 20 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, and will be publicised in the following
ways:-
Name of public authority:-THIRSK TOWN COUNCIL
Address:-49a
Market Place, THIRSK, North Yorkshire. YO7 1HA
1) By notice(s) on council
notice board(s)
2) By publishing the full Publication Scheme on the council
web site (www.thirsk.org)
Signature:-MRS. A. M. WILKINSON
Position:-CLERK
TO THE COUNCIL
Date:-November 2002
The contact details for the
person/official who will be responsible for maintaining the publication scheme
and who should be contacted if any issues arise concerning the council's
compliance with the Freedom of Information Act is:
Name:-CLERK TO THE
COUNCIL
Position:- Clerk to the Council
Telephone:-01845
526445
E-mail:- clerk@thirsk.org
The purpose of this publication is to be a means by which the
council can make a significant amount of information available routinely.
The
scheme will ensure that the council will publish more information proactively,
and help it to develop a greater culture of openness and
transparency.
This authority's key responsibilities are to represent the
electorate of its area, to take action within the legal framework and to provide
a leadership focus for the community.
CORE CLASSES OF
INFORMATION
1 Council Internal Practice and Procedure
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Minutes of council, committee and sub-committee meetings (limited to last 2 yrs) | main council, hardcopy by prior request & also available on council website committee & sub-committee, hardcopy by prior request | no charge |
| Procedural Standing Orders | hardcopy by prior request & also available on council website | no charge |
| Council's annual report to Parish meetings | hardcopy by prior request & also available on council website | no charge |
2 Code of Conduct
| Information | Information | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Members declaration of acceptance of office | Inspection by prior appointment | no charge |
| Member's register of interests | Inspection by prior appointment | no charge |
| Register of member's interest book | Inspection by prior appointment | no charge |
3 Periodic Electoral Review
This is information
concerning changes to the electoral arrangements for parish, town and community
councils. It includes recommendations for the creation of new wards, the
amendment of existing wards, proposals for the names of new wards and
alterations to the number of councillors to be elected to the council.
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Information relating to the last Periodic Electoral Review of the council area | hardcopy by prior request | no charge |
| Information relating to latest boundary review of the council area | hardcopy by prior request | no charge |
4 Employment Practice and Procedure
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Terms & conditions of employment | Inspection by prior appointment | no charge |
| Job description | Inspection by prior appointment | no charge |
5 Planning Documents
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Responses to planning applications | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
6 Audit and Accounts
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Annual return form - limited to the last financial year | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
| Annual statutory report by auditor (internal & external) - limited to the last financial year | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
| Annual statutory report by auditor (internal & external) - limited to the last financial year | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
| Receipt/payment book, receipt books of all kinds, bank statements from all accounts - limited to the last financial year | Inspection by prior appointment | no charge |
| Precept request - limited to the last financial year | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
| VAT records - limited to the last financial year | Inspection by prior appointment | no charge |
| Financial standing orders & regulations Asset register - this will include details of commons/village greens owned by the council, including management schemes for commons as well as village halls, community centres and recreation grounds | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment + available on council web site | no charge |
| Financial risk assessments | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS WITHIN CORE CLASSES
1 Council
Internal Practice and Procedure
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Agendas and supporting papers for council, committee and sub-committee meetings - limited in each case to the forthcoming/ immediate meeting | Agenda, public notice board for statutory period + hardcopy day of meeting + available at meeting | no charge |
| Terms of reference for committees | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
2 Employment Practice and Procedure
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Equal opportunities policy | Not applicable | N/A |
| Health & safety policy | Not applicable | N/A |
| Staffing structure | Not applicable | N/A |
3 Planning Documents
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Parish Plan | Not applicable | N/A |
4 Audit and Accounts
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Loan sanction approvals | Inspection by prior appointment | no charge |
| Fees and charges applied by the council | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
| Safety inspection records | Inspection by prior appointment | no charge |
| Register/file of members allowances | Not applicable | N/A |
OPTIONAL CLASSES OF INFORMATION
1 Development and
Implementation of Policy
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Policy statements issued by the council | Not applicable | N/A |
| Responses made by the council to consultation papers | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
| Analysis of responses received to public consultation papers | Not applicable | N/A |
| Village appraisals | Not applicable | N/A |
| Complaints handling procedure | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
2 Byelaws
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| For the regulation of a mortuary and post mortem room | Not applicable | N/A |
| For the regulation of a pleasure ground or public space | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
| For the regulation of an open space or burial ground | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
| For the regulation of any baths, swimming pool, bathing place or wash-house | Not applicable | N/A |
| For the regulation of the hiring of pleasure boats in a park or pleasure ground provided by a council | Not applicable | N/A |
| For the control of dogs and dog fouling | Not applicable | N/A |
3 Council Circulars/Newsletters
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Town, Parish or community guide | Not applicable | N/A |
| History of town, parish or community (or similar commissioned publication) | Not applicable | N/A |
4 Arts, Entertainment & Tourist Information
(This
relates only to information produced by the council)
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| N/A | Not applicable | N/A |
5 Allotments
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| N/A | Not applicable | N/A |
6 Burial Grounds
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Plans | Inspection by prior appointment | no charge |
| General Policies | Inspection & hardcopy by prior appointment | no charge |
7 Best Value
This information which encompasses the duty
owed by a council to the local people, to provide good quality services at an
acceptable cost, to continually improve the delivery of public services and to
marshal such services across its entire area
| Information | Format in which it is available | Charge for supply (yes/no) |
| Best value performance plan | Not applicable | N/A |
| Best value inspection reports | Not applicable | N/A |
EXCLUSIONS
Core Classes of
Information
Employment Practice and Procedure
Personal
records', ie appraisals, employee specific salary details, disciplinary records,
sickness records and the like by virtue of being personal data under the Data
Protection Act1998
Planning Documents
Copies of planning consultations, the
Development Plan, Structure Plan, Local Plan and Rights of Way/Footpath maps,
all of which are available from the local planning and/or highways authority
respectively
Audit and Accounts
All commercially sensitive
information, eg quotations and tenders, loan documentation and insurance
policies. With regard to quotations and tenders, this information is treated as
confidential to ensure that the whole process is fair, ie if tender information
is released to a third party prior to the end of the whole tender period, those
who initially submitted tenders could be undercut and/or unfairly
disadvantaged.
Optional Classes of
Information
Allotments
Individual tenancy agreements and rent
payment records under both privacy and data protection laws
Burial Grounds
All documentation relating to individual
applications and registration under both privacy and data protection
laws