Public records belong to the public.
The Freedom of Information Act 2011 gives every person the right to ask for records held by public institutions.
Your right, in plain words
You can ask a ministry, department or agency for information it holds: contracts, budgets, reports, minutes, data. You do not need to explain why you want it or show that it affects you.
How quickly they must answer
The Act gives a public institution 7 days to respond. It may extend that once, by up to 7 more days, and must tell you why. Solution Lens shows the due date on every request.
If they refuse
A refusal must be in writing and must say which part of the Act it relies on. Some information is protected, for example personal information about other people, information that would harm an investigation, and certain commercial or legal material. You can ask a court to review a refusal.
Cost
Asking is free. The Act limits any charge to the standard cost of copying or transcribing documents.