Privacy & Legal
Freedom of Information
What does the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act do?
The Freedom of Information Act gives everyone the right to request information from public authorities, which includes Northern Regional College.
How do I get information about the College under the FOI Act?
We put a lot of information on this website in the FOI Publication Scheme section. If the information you want isn’t here, you can complete the Freedom of Information request form. Please help by answering the questions as fully and clearly as possible with information you want. We may contact you to check that we understand what you want, so do make sure you give your contact details.
For further information and guidance on Data Protection and Freedom of Information, please contact:
Information Governance Team
Northern Regional College
Magherafelt Campus
22 Moneymore Road
Magherafelt
BT45 6AE
Tel: 028 7963 2462
Freedom of Information request form
How long does it take to get information?
When we’ve received your written request for information, we have 20 working days to respond. We can extend that time in some cases. ‘Working days’ mean Monday-Friday, but not bank holidays. If the information is part of our Publication Scheme then you should get it within five working days.
Are there charges for the information?
You can download information from our website free of charge. We’ll also provide most other information free, but we may charge for photocopying and postage. If you request a large amount of information, we may have to charge you for the time taken in gathering it. We will always tell you how much you will have to pay so you can decide if you want to go ahead with your request. If the cost is more than £450, we don’t have to provide the information, even if you are willing to pay. This is covered in the FOI Appropriate Limit and Fees Regulations 2004.
What if the information I want is not available?
The FOI Act only requires us to provide information we already hold. Under the FOI Act, we must assist you with your request. We will contact you and tell you what information we do hold that may help to answer your query.
Can I have anything I ask for?
The FOI Act gives access to almost all information that a public body holds. We can withhold (keep back) some information under ‘exemptions’. These include information about national security and law enforcement, or personal information about others.