Information requests

Introduction

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) give you the right to ask the council for any information we may hold. However, requests for information we hold about you, or other private individuals, are not covered by these regulations and follow a separate process. For details please visit our Your rights on the information we hold about you page.

Please note, on 1 April 2023 the structure of local government in Somerset changed. Somerset Council is now a unitary council, replacing the previous Somerset County Council and four district councils – Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West & Taunton and South Somerset. FOI and EIR requests should now be made to Somerset Council. If the information you require relates to a former council or specific area/service/function, please provide as much detail as you can to help ensure that we provide the information you need.

If you would like to request information under the FOIA or EIR and are unable to find that information through our Publication Scheme for our previous responses, you can write to us or fill in our online form to request the information. You must make your FOIA request in writing and the quickest way is to fill in our online form using the button below:

Request now

The online form is also the easiest way to make an EIR request though these can be accepted verbally if required.

All requests must contain:

Your name and email or contact address for correspondence
A description of the information you require

There are guides on making a request on the GOV.UK and Information Commissioner’s Office websites.

Previous requests

We publish our responses to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR), where the information is of wider public interest. This is called a disclosure log and you can search previous responses by using the Answers button below.

Please note, the responses published in our disclosure log prior to 1 April 2023 relating to requests made to the former Somerset County Council (plus some responses made on behalf of Mendip District Council after 12 May 2022 which are identifiable by the prefix MDC in the title). Responses to requests received from 1 April 2023 will be responses from the new Somerset Council.

Answers

Freedom of Information statistics

Below is the number of Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Requests that have been received and sent out within the 20 working day deadline. Figures up to and including the financial year 2022/23 relate to the former Somerset County Council. Figures from 2023/24 onwards will relate to the new unitary Somerset Council.

Time Period	Number Received	Number in time	Percentage on time
April 2022 to March 2023
April 2021 to March 2022	993	946	95.27%
April 2020 to March 2021	971	837	86.20%
April 2019 to March 2020	1187	1026	86.44%
April 2018 to March 2019	1340	900	67.16%
April 2017 to March 2018	1249	830	66.45%
April 2016 to March 2017	1219	772	63.33%
April 2015 to March 2016	1192	692	58.05%
April 2014 to March 2015	1331	758	56.95%
April 2013 to March 2014	1237	763	61..68%
April 2012 to March 2013	846	599	70.80%
April 2011 to March 2012	934	837	89.61%

Downloads

FOI statistics financial year 2021/22

XLS, 24KB

FOI statistics financial year 2020/21

XLS, 24KB

FOI statistics financial year 2019/20

XLS, 24KB

FOI statistics financial year 2018/19

XLS, 24KB

FOI statistics financial year 2017/18

XLS, 24KB