Contents | Part one: introduction
Part two tells you the type of information that we publish, the format in which it is available, whether it is free or if there is a charge for it.
The scheme contains broad topic areas to help you find the information you are looking for. Within each topic area there are identifiable classes of information, which the department publishes or intends to publish. Information that falls into the classes listed will be retained in line with the Department's retention and disposal schedules, which comply with National Archives guidance. You can find out more about the Department's retention and disposal schedules by referring to the relevant class of information that can be found under 'internal guidance'.
Information will not necessarily be available through the website indefinitely. Usually, information relating to a specific date, such as summaries of meetings, will be removed after three years; it will then only be available if an FOI request for information is made. Policies and similar documents will be removed when they are no longer current.
Information about our organisation and our role. This includes publications such as annual reports, corporate and business plans.
| Class: | EC Contract Award notices |
|---|---|
| Definition: | |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
| Class: | Photographic library of court buildings |
|---|---|
| Definition: | |
| Format available: | slide negatives |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Project List |
|---|---|
| Definition: | List of current PPP projects being undertaken by the Department For Constitutional Affairs / Her Majesty's Court Service. This includes projects in procurement and planning as well as those where contracts have been signed. |
| Format available: | DCA website - The legal system, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Applications for appointment to the lay magistracy |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Includes application forms and guidance notes for applicants for lay magisterial appointment. Contact details of current list of Secretaries to the Advisory Committees that advise the Lord Chancellor on appointments of magistrates |
| Format available: | DCA website - Magistrates, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Public appointments |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Public appointments vacancies advertised on the cabinet office website, for which the Department is currently recruiting |
| Format available: | Cabinet Office website |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Staff vacancies |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Information about current career opportunities in the Department and agencies |
| Format available: | DCA website - Appointments, Cabinet Office Recruitment Gateway, public advertisements |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Corporate Board |
|---|---|
| Definition: | List of members. Agendas and summaries of all Corporate Board meetings held since 30 November 2002. Summaries will be available within 6 weeks of the relevant meeting. |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Guidance for professionals |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance published by DCA for use by professionals, e.g. national standards for enforcement agents, burglary sentencing guidelines, procedures on elections, guidance on the Human Rights Act 1998 and a guide to the media for judges |
| Format available: | DCA website - Publications, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Guidance for the public |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Public information guides, forms and leaflets published by the Department for Constitutional Affairs, e.g. guide to court visits, leaflets for parents and children on divorce and separation, civil remedies and alternative dispute resolution and information to taxpayers about how to appeal |
| Format available: | DCA website - Publications, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Guidance on Public Funding in Criminal Cases |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Includes Taxing Officers notes for guidance, Directions for Determining Officers, guidance on Grant of Right to Representation and Recovery of Defence Cost Orders, guide to witness rates for attending criminal courts and the Taxing Compendium. Guidance on witness allowances from central funds |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Department for Constitutional Affairs guide to Parliamentary Business |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance issued to staff about how to draft answers to parliamentary questions |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Diversity Awareness: avoiding inappropriate terminology |
|---|---|
| Definition: | This guidance is intended to highlight the need to be aware of the effect on other people of the language you use. It also provides some general examples of terminology that people often consider to be inappropriate and which should therefore be avoided in our working lives |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Guidance (Accommodation and procurement) |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance issued to staff on general contract terms and conditions, Professional Services, Estate Management, Project approval procedures, Procurement, Wider Markets Initiative and Private Finance Initiative (PFI) |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Guidance (Freedom of Information and Data Protection) |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance to staff on how to deal with requests for information and comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Guidance (Human Resources) |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance issued to staff by Human Resources Directorate on conditions of employment, performance management, Recognition and Reward Scheme, Flexible Working and Recruitment Selection |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Guidance on Project and Programme Management |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance issued to staff on the procedure and protocols on managing effective projects |
| Format available: | to view at DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Ministers cases - Department for Constitutional Affairs guidance |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance issued to staff about how to draft answers to letters from MPs to the Department for Constitutional Affairs ministers |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Policy maker's checklist |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance issued to staff on how to conduct policymaking, including written consultation |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Prayer Facilities |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance to staff on the Department's policy for ensuring that the religious needs of all staff and service-users should be catered for wherever possible |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Quality Audit Manual |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance issued to staff about quality assurance procedures for internal audit in the Department for Constitutional Affairs |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Record Management Service User Guide |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance issued to staff about how to use the Department for Constitutional Affairs registry |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Record retention and disposal schedules |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Current version of the Department's records retention and disposal schedules |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Regional Visits - The Ultimate Guide |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance issued to staff about ministerial visits |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Speech preparation in Department for Constitutional Affairs |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Guidance issued to staff about how to draft speeches to be presented by DCA Ministers |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Legislation |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Acts of Parliament, Statutory Instruments and Explanatory Notes to Acts of Parliament for which the department is responsible including bills and draft bills intended for pre-legislative scrutiny |
| Format available: | HMSO website | DCA website - Legislation |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | HM Court Service Inspectorate Communication Strategy |
|---|---|
| Definition: | |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | HMCSI HR Strategy |
|---|---|
| Definition: | |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Reports (HMCSI) |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Reports published by the Department for Constitutional Affairs on Her Majesty's Court Service Inspectorate |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Reports and publications produced by MCSI |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Includes HMCSI Annual Reports, guidelines for inspection, business plan, inspection reports and thematic reports produced by the HM Courts Service Inspectorate and published on the HMCSI website. This may also include joint inspection reports and reports of single agency inspections of two or more areas of the Criminal Justice System |
| Format available: | HMICA website, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | International Child Abduction - The Hague and European Conventions |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Current list of countries in which the Hague and European Conventions are in force with the United Kingdom; notes for guidance for those seeking a return of a child abducted overseas, or the enforcement of rights of access to a child outside the UK |
| Format available: | Official Solicitor website |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Legal basis of the functions of the Official Solicitor and of the Public Trustee |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Current list of statutes and rules of court which form the basis of the functions of the Official Solicitor and of the Public Trustee |
| Format available: | Official Solicitor website |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Reports (Official Solicitor) |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Reports published by the Official Solicitor's office |
| Format available: | Official Solicitor website, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Statistics (Official Solicitor) |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Details of case workload published on the Official Solicitor's website |
| Format available: | Official Solicitor website |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Aims and objectives |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Includes the Department's Public Service Agreement which sets out the Department's aims, strategic objectives and targets; and current published business plans. See also class "Performance against targets" for achievements against targets |
| Format available: | DCA website - The Department, Hard copy from DCA, Criminal Justice System website |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Complaints procedures |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Current complaints procedures for the Department for Constitutional Affairs and for the Office of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee |
| Format available: | DCA website - Complaints procedures, Hard copy from DCA, Official Solicitor website |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Concordats |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Concordats between the Department for Constitutional Affairs and devolved administrations |
| Format available: | DCA website - Concordats |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Departmental Strategies |
|---|---|
| Definition: | The Department's approved strategies, for example on volunteering, e-business, information technology, investment and race and equality |
| Format available: | DCA website - Strategies and Objectives, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Hospitality Register |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Details of hospitality, gifts or services in kind, accepted and declared by Senior Civil Servants, in the Department for Constitutional Affairs. |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Judicial Complaints Protocol |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Procedures for dealing with complaints against the Judiciary |
| Format available: | DCA website from January 2004, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Ministers' biographical details |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Published biographical details of current DCA ministers |
| Format available: | DCA website - The Ministerial Executive Board |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | National Audit Office reports on the Department for Constitutional Affairs and its agencies |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Reports published by the National Audit Office (NAO) on the Department for Constitutional Affairs and published Treasury responses to NAO reports |
| Format available: | National Audit Office website, Hard copy from the Stationery Office, Treasury website |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Organisation structure |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Chart |
| Format available: | DCA website - Organisation Chart |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Performance against targets |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Published reports on performance against targets, expenditure, policies and programmes |
| Format available: | The Departmental Report, Autumn Performance Report, Judicial Statistics and other annual reports on DCA polices available on DCA website - Annual Reports Reports against DCA's PSA targets available on the Treasury website, hard copy from The Stationery Office |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Accepted Tribunal Decisions |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Selected decisions of Tribunals sponsored by the Department for Constitutional Affairs |
| Format available: | Hard copy from relevant Tribunal |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Tribunal Statistics |
|---|---|
| Definition: | This includes performance against the monthly key performance indicators and annual statistics relating to the business of tribunals. This gives an over view of work loads and performance in tribunals. |
| Format available: | Available on the Tribunals Service website |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Agendas and minutes of Human Rights Task Force meetings |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Agendas and minutes of Human Rights Task Force meetings |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Agendas, minutes and background papers for the DCA Ministerial Forum on Human Rights (with NGOs) |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Agendas, minutes and background papers of the DCA Ministerial Forum on Human Rights (with NGOs) and sub-committees to the DCA Ministerial Forum on Human Rights (with NGOs) published on the Department of Constitutional Affairs website |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Agendas, papers and minutes of the meetings of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Group on Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Agendas, papers and minutes of the meetings of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Group on Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Minutes of Freedom of Information Team Leaders meetings |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Agendas and minutes of Implementation Team Leaders meetings held within the last 3 years. |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Guide to Government Business involving the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man |
|---|---|
| Definition: | publication |
| Format available: | DCA website - Crown Dependencies, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | HM The Queen's Golden Jubilee: the granting of city status and Lord Mayoralty / Lord Provostship |
|---|---|
| Definition: | A series of papers and the results of city status and Lord Mayoralty / Lord Provostship competition 2002 |
| Format available: | DCA website - City Status | DCA website - Lord Mayoralty and Lord Provostship |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | House of Lords Reform |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Background documents on House of Lords Reform published on the Department for Constitutional Affairs website |
| Format available: | DCA website - House of Lords Reform, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Statement of National Standards of Witness Care in the Criminal Justice System |
|---|---|
| Definition: | publication |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Codes of Practice |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Lord Chancellor's Code of Practice on discharge of functions under the FOI Act |
| Format available: | DCA website - Statutory codes of practice, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Decisions |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Decisions of the Information Commissioner in relation to the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection Act 1998, in relation to the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Some of the material in this class is derived from documents that we consider to contain exempt material. Where this occurs the material will clearly show where information has been withheld and explain what exemption has been applied and why. Typically information may be withheld if it constitutes personal data |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Information Asset Register |
|---|---|
| Definition: | List of information held by the department |
| Format available: | Information Asset Register website |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Register of Information disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Register of information disclosed under theFreedom of Information Act since 1st January 2005 |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Reports by the UK under international human rights treaties for which DCA has lead responsibility |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Reports under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT), and the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture (ECPT). These reports are compilations of contributions from other Government Departments, and are published on the Department for Constitutional Affairs website |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Legal Services Commission Framework document |
|---|---|
| Definition: | The Framework Document comprises a Management Statement and Financial Memorandum setting out the broad framework within which the Commission will operate. It is drawn up by the Department in consultation with the Legal Services Commission and agreed by the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA Also available in electronic format on the DCA and LSC websites |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Listing arrangements for criminal cases in the magistrates courts |
|---|---|
| Definition: | publication |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Lord Chancellor's Directions for Advisory Committees on Justices of the Peace |
|---|---|
| Definition: | The framework in which Advisory committees must operate |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Reports and reviews |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Reports, reviews and explanatory background material published by the Department for Constitutional Affairs in the last two years |
| Format available: | DCA website - Reports and reviews, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Civil, family and administrative law and justice statistics |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Includes statistical bulletins on mortgage possessions, company winding up, and banckruptcy possessions. This class also includes judicial statistics annual report |
| Format available: | DCA website - Statistical Publications |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Criminal justice statistics |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Includes statistical bulletins on the average time, from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders, time intervals for criminal proceedings in magistrates courts, quality of service surveys carried out in magistrates courts. Also available in judicial statistics and magistrates courts performance data annual reports |
| Format available: | DCA website - Statistical Publications, Magistrates' courts performance data available in Magistrates' Courts Business Returns - Annual Report |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Statistics about the Judiciary |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Includes current list of designated civil judges appointed by the Lord Chancellor, current list of high court, Court of Appeal judges, heads of divisions and Law Lords. Legal year term dates statistics on judicial appointments including magistrates and Queens Counsel appointments, judicial statistics annual report |
| Format available: | DCA website - Statistical Publications |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Evidence supplied to the Senior Salaries Review Body |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Formal evidence on judicial salaries as supplied annually to the Senior Salaries Review Body from September 2004 onwards |
| Format available: | DCA website - Judicial Salaries 2006-2007 |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Answers to Parliamentary Questions |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Answers given by Department for Constitutional Affairs Ministers in response to written and oral parliamentary questions |
| Format available: | House of Commons website | House of Lords website |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Information placed in the libraries of the Houses of Parliament |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Copies of publications referred to in answers given by Department for Constitutional Affairs Ministers in response to parliamentary questions and which have been placed in the libraries of the Houses of Parliament within the last 3 years |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Consultation Papers |
|---|---|
| Definition: | All consultation papers and summaries of responses to consultation papers, including all Green Papers and White Papers, issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs within the last 3 years |
| Format available: | DCA website - Consultation Papers, Green Papers and White Papers available in hard copy from The Stationery Office |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Office Notices |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Notices issued to staff about changes in organisational structure and practice since within the last 3 years. Some of the material in this class is derived from documents that we consider to contain exempt material. Where this occurs the material will clearly show where information has been withheld and explain what exemption has been applied and why. Typically information may be withheld if its release would compromise the health and safety of staff or national security |
| Format available: | Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Press Notices |
|---|---|
| Definition: | All press releases issued by Department for Constitutional Affairs within the last three years |
| Format available: | DCA website - Press Notices |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Regulatory Impact Assessments |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Partial Regulatory Impact Assessments that have appeared in Consultation Papers in the last three years. Final Regulatory Impact Assessments that have been signed by Department for Constitutional Affairs Ministers in the last three years |
| Format available: | DCA website - Regulatory Impact Assessments, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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| Class: | Research Reports |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Research reports published in the Research Unit's Research Series |
| Format available: | DCA website - Research Unit for the Department for Constitutional Affairs, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
£ |
| Class: | Speeches |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Key speeches made by Department for Constitutional Affairs Ministers and Senior Judges within the last three years |
| Format available: | DCA website - Speeches, Hard copy from DCA |
| £ indicates that - this class includes chargeable material: |
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