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WHATDOTHEYKNOW

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GET ANSWERS FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR

Make a request for information to a UK public authority: by law, they have to
respond

Browse 1,024,495 requests to 46,457 authorities


WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING?

Start your own request

Make a request »
Learn more


HOW IT WORKS

You have the right to request information from any public body, and get answers.
WhatDoTheyKnow helps you make a Freedom of Information request for free. It also
publishes all requests online.

 1. Use this site to make your request for information – we'll show you how.
    
    1

 2. We'll drop you an email as soon as your request gets a response.
    
    2

 3. We publish it all online. Great! Now you have your answer, and everybody
    else can access it too.
    
    3

Learn more about the Freedom of Information act →


WHO CAN I REQUEST INFORMATION FROM?

WHATDOTHEYKNOW COVERS REQUESTS TO 46,457 AUTHORITIES, INCLUDING:

 * Department for Work and Pensions 13802 requests
 * Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council 3947 requests
 * Kent County Council 2838 requests
 * British Broadcasting Corporation 4360 requests
 * Ministry of Defence 8303 requests

Browse all authorities →

LOOKING FOR AN EU AUTHORITY?

You can request documents directly from EU Institutions at our sister site
AskTheEU.org . Find out more .


WHAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN RELEASED?

WHATDOTHEYKNOW USERS HAVE MADE 1,024,495 REQUESTS, INCLUDING:

 * Camden Borough Council answered a request about Controlled Parking Zone Entry
   and Exit Signs locations
   
   about 1 hour ago

 * Queen Mary University of London answered a request about IT systems
   
   about 3 hours ago

 * Independent Office for Police Conduct answered a request about Request to
   know if active Case Workers have been arrested - either wrongly or due to
   them having committed a crime
   
   about 3 hours ago

 * Norfolk County Council answered a request about Handling of Code of Conduct
   complaints in 2023
   
   about 1 hour ago

 * Wakefield City Council answered a request about Impact of free two hour car
   parking?
   
   about 5 hours ago

Browse all requests →


WHAT IS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION?

Make a request for information to a UK public authority.
By law, they have to respond.

The Freedom of Information Act, also known as FOI gives you the right to request
recorded information from public authorities.

As well as documents and emails, it also covers things like spreadsheets,
presentations, maps, videos and photographs.

By law requests have to be answered promptly and within 20 working days.



In most cases information should be released, but various exemptions allow
authorities to withhold information.

Learn more about the Freedom of Information act →


HOW DO I USE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION?

From coach drop off points to national borders; modern slavery to council
sell-offs, Freedom of Information is a tool that everyone can use. Individual or
community group; journalist or campaigner. National or local; every day or now
and then. Here are just a few of the ways that it can help…

🔍 Find the evidence: Survey responses, research reports and board papers can
help you to uncover the truth behind decisions and public statements.

⚖️ Compare and contrast: Compare the situation in your local area with what’s
happening in other parts of the country and highlight disparities or
similarities.

💰 Follow the money: Contracts, invoices and budget information let you see
where public money goes, ensuring greater accountability for how funds are
allocated and spent.

🧩 Fill in the gaps: You can ask a group of authorities to build or extract a
dataset that didn't exist. This can fill knowledge gaps and improve public
understanding of specific issues.

🤔 Understand why: Meeting minutes, policy papers and internal correspondence
can help you to understand why important decisions were taken, and who is
accountable for those decisions.

☀️ Promote openness: Asking for datasets can help to show that there is public
demand to see it, which might persuade the authority to publish it themselves
without needing to be asked.

Read our case studies for some great examples of how others have put these ideas
to use.


HOW DOES WHATDOTHEYKNOW HELP?

🔀 Find the right authority: A database of 46,000+ public bodies, kept up to
date by a team of staff and volunteers.

🗂️ Public archive: A permanent, searchable, public record of over one million
information requests and responses.



✍️ Write your request: Inline guidance and a collection of help pages to help
write your request.



🤖 Automate bureaucracy: Built in assistance and reminders to manage your
request from submission to completion.



🏟️ Correspond in public: Requests and responses are automatically published
online with proof of delivery to hold authorities accountable to respond.



🛑 Refusal advice: Encouragement, support, guidance and snippets to help
challenge refusals at internal review, regulator appeal and tribunal(soon).



Learn more about WhatDoTheyKnow. Want to know something? Start your own request
→

WhatDoTheyKnow is a project of mySociety, a not for profit that creates
technology, research and data to empower citizens to take their first steps
towards greater civic participation.


KEEP UP WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING

News on Transparency, Democracy, Community Climate and more…

Subscribe to our newsletters


LATEST NEWS AND CAMPAIGNS


THIS IS NOT JUST ANY IMPACT REPORT…

…this is mySociety’s 20th anniversary Impact Report! This has been a very
special year – mySociety’s 20th anniversary. So we haven’t just put together our
usual review of the past twelve months:...

Read post


FREEDOM OF INFORMATION TO SUPPORT SOCIAL CHANGE

Rethinking our approach to marginalised communities Read our new report ‘Using
Access to Information to support social change’ Freedom of information is for
everyone: that’s something we believe, and something...

Read post


WHAT’S ON WHATDOTHEYKNOW?

In celebration of our millionth public FOI request on WhatDoTheyKnow, we’ve been
examining many aspects of the service — and now we come to that huge archive of
released information,...

Read post


YOU CAN USE WHATDOTHEYKNOW FOR THE GOOD OF THE CLIMATE

As we look back on a million public requests, we’re also looking to the future
and how WhatDoTheyKnow might be leveraged for the most important issue of our
generation —...

Read post
Donate now to support our work or browse more


OUR VIDEOS ABOUT FREEDOM OF INFORMATION


WORKSHOP: WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH FOI?

Watch on YouTube


REGULATING ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Watch on YouTube


SOURCE & MANAGE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DATA FOR IMPACTFUL INVESTIGATIONS &
CAMPAIGNS WITH ALAVETELI

Watch on YouTube
Make a donation to support our research or watch more


OUR FREEDOM OF INFORMATION RESEARCH


NETWORK RAIL: HOW ACCOUNTING DEFINITIONS OF CONTROL CAN EXPAND FOI/EIR COVERAGE 

Appealing to the Court of Accountants.

Read article


HOW MANY PEOPLE USE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION? THE NUMBERS BLOG POST

More details on our FOI polling, and how it compares with other polling and
estimates of FOI use.

Read article


USING ACCESS TO INFORMATION TO SUPPORT SOCIAL CHANGE

A look at how organisations which support marginalised communities use and
request information from public bodies, what the information unlocks and what
mySociety can do to better support this use of access to information.

Read article


WHAT ARE ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION REQUESTS AND HOW DO THEY DIFFER IN SCOTLAND?

Understanding what makes Environmental Information special in Freedom of
Information and the (minor) differences in how this is interpreted in Scotland.

Read article


MYSOCIETY RESPONSE TO “CALL FOR EVIDENCE: STRATEGIC LAWSUITS AGAINST PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION”

Response to Ministry of Justice consultation

Read article


PRIORITISING FOI COMPLAINTS

Draft response to ICO consultation on how to prioritise FOI complaints

Read article
Donate now to support our research or browse more



WHATDOTHEYKNOW

A site to help anyone submit a Freedom of Information request. WhatDoTheyKnow
also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive
of information.

Established in 2008. Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli.

Dedicated to Chris Lightfoot.

 * Make a request
 * Browse requests
 * View authorities
 * Campaigners
 * Journalists
 * Researchers

 * Help
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Your donations keep this site and others like it running

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mySociety is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) and a limited
company (03277032). We provide commercial services through our wholly owned
subsidiary SocietyWorks Ltd (05798215).

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