Freedom of Information Act

Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations

Overview

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) give you the rights to access recorded information held by public authorities. If you would like to find out more about FOIA and EIR, please follow the links to the guidance below:

Guide to freedom of information | ICO

Guide to the Environmental Information Regulations | ICO

Making a request?

To read about how to make an information request please visit the government website
To see if the information has already been made available, please check our publication scheme, previous FOI releases  or in The National Archives

To make a new information request, please contact us at:

Email:    [email protected]
Post:      Information Requests, AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, RG7 4PR

Please include with your request:

  • Your name (title, first and surname)
  • How to contact you (either postal or email address)
  • A description of the information you require, as specifically as possible

If you cannot make your request in writing because of a disability, please contact us on [telephone number].  We can help you to make the request another way – for example over the phone.

We ask that you:

  • Use the template for your convenience where possible
  • Use clear language when making the request. If we are not sure of what you want, we will ask for clarification, which may delay our final response; and
  • Ask for specific information rather than using open ended questions.

If the request is for information about yourself please make a data subject access request via [email protected] or via letter to The Information Requests Team, AWE, Aldermaston, Reading RG7 4PR.

When will I get a reply?

When we receive your request, we acknowledge it and provide you with a reference number, normally within 2 working days.  We aim to provide a response to your request within 20 working days, and if we’re unable to do this we will contact you and provide an explanation as to why.

Can I complain if my request is refused or I am unhappy with the response?

If you are unhappy with how your request has been handled or with the response you have been given, you can make a complaint to us at [email protected]  and we will try to find a resolution. We aim to complete internal reviews within 20 working days and will keep you informed of the expected timescale for response.

If you are still dissatisfied, you have the right to request an internal review. This must be requested within 40 days of receiving a response to your initial request, to either of the contact methods listed above.

If you are still unhappy after an internal review has been completed, you have the right to take your complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office. You can contact them here:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

FOI requests and responses

Published Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and responses

Read more