EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Freedom of Information Act 1982
Freedom of Information (Addresses) Regulations
Statutory Rules 1982 No. 322
OUTLINE
The Freedom of Information (Addresses) Regulations are made under section 94 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
2. Section 2 of the Act provides that the several parts of the Act shall come into operation on such respective dates as are fixed by Proclamation. The several parts of the Act have been proclaimed to come into operation on 1 December 1982. Sub-section 4(1) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 provides that where an Act that is not to come into operation immediately upon its enactment is expressed to confer power to make an instrument of a legislative character then, unless the contrary intention appears, the power may be exercised before the Act concerned comes into operation as if it had come into operation. No contrary intention appears in the relevant provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
3. Section 94 provides for the making of regulations prescribing all matters that are necessary to give effect to the Act.
4. It is necessary to specify, in relation to each Minister and to each agency subject to the Act, addresses to which requests for access to a document made in pursuance
of the Act may be sent by post or delivered to an officer of the agency or a member of the staff of the Minister in accordance with sub-section 19(1). The proposed Regulations specify these addresses.
NOTES ON REGULATIONS
Regulation 1 - Citation
5. Regulation 1 sets out the short title of the Regulations.
Regulation 2 - Interpretation
6. Regulation 2 defines the term “the Act” used in the Regulations as the “Freedom of Information Act 1982”.
Regulation 3 - Addresses to which requests may be posted, &c
7. Sub-regulation 3(1) provides that the address of each office of the Department of Social Security is an address to which requests may be posted or delivered in accordance with sub-section 19(1) of the Act.
8. Sub-regulation 3(2) provides that the addresses specified in respect of each agency listed in Schedule 1 of the Regulations are addresses to which requests may be posted or delivered to that agency in accordance with sub-section 19(1) of the Act.
9. Sub-regulation 3(3) provides that the addresses specified in respect of each Minister listed in Schedule 2 of the Regulations are addresses to which requests may be posted or delivered to that Minister in accordance with sub-section 19(1) of the Act.