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The Reuse of Public Sector Information

The Reuse of Public Sector Information

On 1 July 2005 the Reuse of Public Sector Information Regulations (SI 2005 No 1515) came into effect. The Regulations place obligations on public sector bodies when they allow the reuse of information they hold. The impetus behind the legislation arose from the recognition that public sector information is a valuable information resource that could be used by the private sector to develop value added products and services.

The Regulations are based on the principles of fairness, transparency, non-discrimination and consistency of application. Some information falls outside the scope of the Regulations and a charge made be made for re-use of information. A guide to the Regulations and other information may be found on the Office of Public Sector Information website.

There is a link between the Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation and the Regulations. In essence, the Regulations do not change access provisions but rather provide a framework for re-use of information once access to it has been provided under FOI or other enabling legislation. Public sector information can be made available via the Publication Scheme that every public authority is required to produce under FOI legislation. View the DfT publication scheme. Responses to enquiries under the FOI legislation that are thought to be of general public interest are also available from organisations that are covered by the FOI legislation. View the HA's public responses.

In the United Kingdom most information produced by the public sector is subject to copyright protection. Most of the information produced by the Highways Agency is covered by Crown copyright unless specifically described as otherwise. The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) administers Crown copyright. Further information about Crown copyright and the legal authority to authorise the re-use of material can be found at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advice/crown-copyright/index.htm.

The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) will advise on and regulate the operation of the re-use of public sector information. If you want to reuse information produced by the Agency that is subject to Crown copyright, you should contact OPSI for advice on licensing arrangements. Requests should be submitting in writing, including emails, to OPSI and you should give your name and address. You should also specify which documents or information you want to re-use and the purpose for which the document or information is to be re-used. On receipt of the request, OPSI will contact the Agency about licensing arrangements if applicable.

In order to help customers identify information which is produced by the Agency, a list of publications can be found here (65K PDF) . The DfT Publication Scheme, which contains an Information Asset Register, is also a useful source for identification purposes.

The Agency operates a Complaints Procedure which can be used if you are unhappy about the application of the Regulations in relation to information held by the Agency. If we are unable to resolve your complaint internally, the Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information (APPSI) which is a non-Departmental Public Body established by the Cabinet Office in April 2003 will review and consider complaints under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005.

Useful sources of further information are: