Every organisation covered by the Freedom of Information Act ("the Act") has a legal duty to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme. The main purpose of a Publication Scheme is to make information readily available to the public without the need for specific written requests. Schemes are intended to encourage organisations to publish proactively, and to develop a greater culture of openness.
All Publication Schemes now have to adopt the model scheme as stipulated and approved by the Information Commissioner's Office. The BBC has adopted the model scheme set out for all non-departmental public bodies.
The BBC is committed to:
- Proactively publish or otherwise make available as a matter of routine, information which is held by the organisation and falls within the classifications listed in the 'Classes' section.
- Specify the information which is held by the organisation and falls within the classifications listed in the 'Classes' section.
- Proactively publish or otherwise make available as a matter of routine, information in line with the statements contained within this scheme.
- Produce and publish the methods by which the specific information is made routinely available so that it can be easily identified and accessed by members of the public.
- Review and update on a regular basis the information that the organisation makes available under this scheme.
- Produce a schedule of any fees charged for access to information which is made proactively available.
- Making this Publication Scheme available to the public.
The focus of the BBC's Publication Scheme is information about the organisation's constitution, how the Corporation is managed and run, and other administrative information. This is because the Act does not apply to information held for the dominant purpose of creating the BBC's output (TV, radio, online), or information that supports and is closely associated with these activities.