What we can't tell you · Fragmented

How well does each public authority handle Freedom of Information requests?

Fragmented The data exists but is held by many authorities separately, with no national compilation; coverage has to be tracked authority by authority.

Why

The Cabinet Office "Freedom of Information statistics: annual 2024" (published 30 April 2025, accredited official statistics) covers 41 monitored central government bodies (83,041 requests, 76% answered in time) with per-body tables, and states that local authorities, police forces, NHS bodies and devolved administrations are not covered. The section 45 code of practice asks authorities with more than 100 staff to publish their own compliance statistics; the Information Commissioner publishes decision notices per authority but no compiled compliance table.

What is known

Freedom of Information statistics, 41 central government bodies (Cabinet Office, quarterly and annual)

What is not known

A national table for councils, police forces and NHS trusts
Consistent definitions across self-published statistics

Who holds the data

Cabinet Office (central government)
Every other public authority (its own statistics)
Information Commissioner's Office (complaints and decision notices)

Would a Freedom of Information request help?

Possibly. Each authority holds its own request-handling figures and routinely releases them; compiling a national picture requires one request per authority.

Privacy and disclosure restrictions

None stated by the publisher.

Official sources checked

Last reviewed 2026-09-02. Availability changes; if a publication now answers this question, challenge the classification below.