Access to Information

It places an obligation on public authorities to adopt and maintain a publication scheme. This requirement applies to Post Office Limited (Post Office).

The Post Office publication scheme sets out:

• The classes of information Post Office publishes or intends to publish
• The manner in which the information will be published
• Whether the information is available free of charge, or upon payment of a fee

What information do we make available?

In line with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) model publication scheme, we publish information which falls into the following seven classes of information:

1. Who we are and what we do 
   Organisational information, locations and contacts, constitutional and legal governance.
2. What we spend and how we spend it 
   Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, tendering, procurement and contracts.
3. What our priorities are and how we are doing 
   Strategy and performance information, plans, assessments, inspections and reviews.
4. How we make decisions 
   Policy proposals and decisions. Decision making processes, Terms of Reference, internal criteria and procedures, consultations.
5. Our policies and procedures
   Current written protocols for delivering our functions and responsibilities.
6. Lists and Registers 
   Information held in registers required by law and other lists and registers relating to the functions of the authority.
7. The Services we Offer
   Advice and guidance, booklets and leaflets, transactions and media releases. A description of the services offered.

The classes of information will not generally include:

• Information where the disclosure is prevented by law, or exempt under FOIA, or is otherwise properly considered to be protected from disclosure
• Information in draft form
• Information that is no longer readily available as it is contained in files that have been placed in archive storage or is difficult to access for similar reasons

The Annex to this scheme lists the types of information that we currently publish or intend to publish in the future grouped under the seven classes of information. We will continue to update the material shown in the Annex to this scheme and review it to ensure it is accurate.

Will I be charged for information?

Information accessed directly from the websites is free of charge. Some banks may charge. Information made available in other ways may be subject to a fee. Where a fee is payable, this is indicated in the Annex. Charges may be made for actual disbursements incurred such as:

• Photocopying
• Postage and packing
• Costs directly incurred as a result of viewing information

Charges may also be made for information provided under this scheme in accordance with our fees schedule. If a charge is to be made, confirmation of the payment due will be given before the information is provided.

Payment may be requested prior to provision of the information.

Where can I find information?

Information which cannot be located through the Post Office publication scheme may be obtained via the following channels:

Online: ANNEX

By Phone:
Helpline: 0345 611 2970 (Welsh 03457 468469)
Text phone for hearing impaired customers: 03457 22 33 55 (Welsh 03456 030800)

Local call rates apply. Call costs may vary depending on your service provider. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training and compliance purposes. 

By Post:
Information Rights Team
Post Office Limited
100 Wood Street
London
EC2V 7ER

By E-mail:
information.rights@postoffice.co.uk

Archive:
Discovery Room,
The Postal Museum, 15-20 Phoenix Place, London. WC1X 0DL

E-mail: archives@postalmuseum.org.uk

Telephone: 020 8183 0067

Website:  www.postalmuseum.org 

Archive material listed in the scheme is available to view in person at the above address.

Opening Hours: 10am to 4.30pm Wednesday to Friday and 2^nd Saturday of the month | Closed other Saturdays and every Sunday to Tuesday.
Please contact the Discovery Room for further details.

Who has responsibility for this scheme?

The Post Office Company Secretary has overall responsibility for this publication scheme. Day to day responsibility for the publication scheme sits with the Information Rights Manager. Comments and questions regarding this scheme should be directed to:

Information Rights Manager
Post Office Limited
100 Wood Street
London
EC2V 7ER

information.rights@postoffice.co.uk

How can I make comments and complaints about this publication scheme?

If you have any comments or complaints about the Post Office publication scheme, or if you feel we have not supplied information in accordance with the scheme, you should write to the Information Rights Manager (see contact details above).

Copyright

The information provided under this scheme is subject to copyright. Reproducing or publishing material supplied under this scheme without the express permission of Post Office Ltd may be an infringement of copyright. Requests for permission to reproduce or publish any information provided under this scheme should be addressed to the Information Rights Manager (see contact details above). If permission is granted, it may be subject to a separate licence agreement, and the source of the material must be identified and the copyright status acknowledged in any publication. We may charge a fee for supplying copies of copyright material for reproduction.

Disclaimer

The Post Office is not liable for the contents, reliability or availability of any external internet sites listed, nor does it necessarily endorse any views or services mentioned within them.