Freedom of information

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoI) gives the public the right to request information held by the GLA.

The Act aims to ensure that public sector bodies are open and accountable and encompasses any recorded information.

The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 provides a similar public right to access, and relates to environmental information held by public authorities.

You do not need to specify which Act applies; we will determine the most appropriate legislative procedures for your particular request.

For more information on the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations please visit the Information Commissioner’s Office.

The GLA proactively publishes a lot of information on our website to reflect our commitment to openness and transparency. Please check the following sources of GLA information before making a request for information:

• our Publication Scheme pages detail information published in accordance with the Government's code of recommended practice on data transparency, and to fulfil our obligations under FoIA
• the GLA Disclosure Log lists information released by the GLA in response to FoI request that we have received
• the London Datastore provides re-usable raw data that the GLA has produced as well as datasets from the GLA’s functional bodies, London Boroughs and other organisations
• the Mayor of London's diary is published as part of his commitment to openness and transparency.

The GLA does not always automatically hold information that relates to the work of the GLA's functional bodies.

More information about making a request to these authorities can be found using the links below:

• Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (for crime and policing matters)
• Transport for London (for transport matters including cycling, Congestion Charge, Low Emissions Zone, taxis, Crossrail)
• London Fire Commissioner (for matters relating to the London Fire Brigade and emergency planning)
• London Legacy Development Corporation (for Olympic Park regeneration legacy matters).

The GLA is London's strategic government and does not operate in the same way as local Borough Councils. It does not always automatically hold information on behalf of Borough Councils. For more details on contacting the London Local Authority - visit our contact page.

If you cannot find the information you are looking for, please make your request in writing to the following email address: [email protected]

Alternatively, you can post your request:

Public Liaison Unit
City Hall
Kamal Chunchie Way
London
E16 1ZE

Please be as specific as possible about the information you would like to request even where you do not know the names of particular documents. For example, try to include details such as dates and names (people, places or events) whenever you can.

If your request is unclear, or we cannot identify the information you are interested in, we will write back to you to ask for clarification.

Please also remember that you must provide contact details for where you would like the information to be sent to.

Requests will be handled within the statutory time limit of 20 working days but we aim to respond as soon as possible.

Although you may request any information that we hold, there are some exemptions under the Acts which mean we may not be able to provide the information you require. If we decide that we cannot release the information requested, we will state which exemptions we have used and clearly explain the reasons why we cannot release the information in to the public domain.

If you need to discuss you request or need any advice or assistance in making a request, please contact 020 7983 4000.