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News

Information for All

Sharing information is high on the agenda at the Borough of Poole as the Council looks at ways of managing information for the benefit of the community.

The Council holds information on a wide range of subjects that affect local services and it's residents. From planning applications to Committee reports, the safety of toys to motor vehicle fraud - all this information and more will be made available to the public.

Chand Ewart, Chairman of Community Information & Support Services Policy Advisory Group, said: "We welcome this publication scheme and look forward to providing a clear framework in which we are able to manage information. Openness is one of the Council's existing core values and we will continue to work hard to ensure we achieve a system that provides residents with the information that matters to them."

A publication scheme, which aims to make all appropriate Council information available to the community, will be developed by the Borough and presented to the Government by December 2002. Members discussed the efficient and effective use of and management of information at a meeting of the Community Information & Support Services Policy Advisory Group last night.

Linking closely with the Council's e-Government Strategy, the publication scheme will help develop a clear framework in which information can be stored and accessed. E-Government is something that requires the Council to make information accessible electronically by 2005. This forms part of the Freedom of Information Act.

The Freedom of Information Act comes into force in January 2005 and will require all public bodies to:

• give a general right of access to all types of 'recorded' information \n

• respond to a request within 20 days; provide information recorded both before and after the act was passed \n

• set out exemptions i.e. national security; personal data; law enforcement

The publication scheme will be adopted by central Government in February 2003.

Peter Williams