Guide to Information Law

Simon Whitbourn

17 January 2008

This online resource is intended to provide a practical guide to information law and is specifically aimed at staff working in local authority children's services departments. It will also be useful for partner agencies and those who work with children. The guide covers:

• various statutory requirements placed on children's services authorities and schools to collect and supply information for broadly statistical purposes
• the implications of the Data Protection Act 1998 for data use and access
• the use and production of records in court proceedings
• the implications of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the FoIA)
• the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005

The appendices section contains tables summarising the duties and powers of local authorities, governing bodies, the Secretary of State and the National Assembly of Wales to collect and supply information.

About the author

Simon Whitbourn is a solicitor specialising in education and public law. He has advised schools, colleges, local education authorities and central government departments and spent 13 years with Hampshire County Council's legal department. He has also been retained by the DfES (as was) and provided training on the law to education officers, head teachers and governors. His publications include What is the LEA for? and Education and the Human Rights Act, also published by NFER, as well as a guide on special educational needs and disability discrimination for Butterworths.