Freedom of Information Act 2000FOIAUK · 2000 c. 36
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Freedom of Information Act 2000 (c. 36) – Section 47 – General functions of Commission.

Sections

Section 47General functions of [F1Commission].

(1) It shall be the duty of the [F2Commission] to promote the following of good practice by public authorities and, in particular, so to perform [F3its] functions under this Act as to promote the observance by public authorities of—
  • (a)
    the requirements of this Act, and
  • (b)
    the provisions of the codes of practice under sections 45 and 46.
(2) The [F4Commission] shall arrange for the dissemination in such form and manner as [F5the Commission] considers appropriate of such information as it may appear to [F6the Commission] expedient to give to the public—
  • (a)
    about the operation of this Act,
  • (b)
    about good practice, and
  • (c)
    about other matters within the scope of [F7the Commission’s] functions under this Act,

and may give advice to any person as to any of those matters.

(3) The [F8Commission] may, with the consent of any public authority, assess whether that authority is following good practice.
(4) The [F9Commission] may charge such sums as [F10it] may F11... determine for any [F12relevant] services provided by the [F9Commission] under this section.
(4A) [F13 In subsection (4) “relevant services” means—
  • (a)
    the provision to the same person of more than one copy of any published material where each of the copies of the material is either provided on paper, a portable disk which stores the material electronically or a similar medium,
  • (b)
    the provision of training, or
  • (c)
    the provision of conferences.
(4B) The [F14Minister for the Cabinet Office] may by order amend subsection (4A).
(4C) An order under subsection (4B) may include such transitional or saving provision as the [F14Minister for the Cabinet Office] considers appropriate.
(4D) The [F14Minister for the Cabinet Office] must consult the [F15Commission] before making an order under subsection (4B).]
(5) The [F16Commission] shall from time to time as [F17the Commission] considers appropriate—
  • (a)
    consult the Keeper of Public Records about the promotion by the [F16Commission] of the observance by public authorities of the provisions of the code of practice under section 46 in relation to records which are public records for the purposes of the M1Public Records Act 1958, and
  • (b)
    consult the Deputy Keeper of the Records of Northern Ireland about the promotion by the [F16Commission] of the observance by public authorities of those provisions in relation to records which are public records for the purposes of the M2Public Records Act (Northern Ireland) 1923.
(6) In this section “good practice”, in relation to a public authority, means such practice in the discharge of its functions under this Act as appears to the [F18Commission] to be desirable, and includes (but is not limited to) compliance with the requirements of this Act and the provisions of the codes of practice under sections 45 and 46.

Amended text

This Section is shown as amended by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012; S.I. 2016/997; S.I. 2026/386 (see the annotations below), as incorporated in the text in force on 7 October 2026 as published on legislation.gov.uk.

Annotations

Textual Amendments

  1. F1 Word in s. 47 heading substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(a); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  2. F2 Word in s. 47(1) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(b)(i); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  3. F3 Word in s. 47(1) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(b)(ii); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  4. F4 Word in s. 47(2) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(c)(i); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  5. F5 Words in s. 47(2) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(c)(ii); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  6. F6 Words in s. 47(2) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(c)(iii); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  7. F7 Words in s. 47(2) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(c)(iv); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  8. F8 Word in s. 47(3) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(d); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  9. F9 Word in s. 47(4) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(e)(i); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  10. F10 Word in s. 47(4) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(e)(ii); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  11. F11 Words in s. 47(4) repealed (1.9.2013) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), ss. 107(3)(a)(i), 120, Sch. 10 Pt. 8 (with s. 97); S.I. 2013/1906, art. 3(d)
  12. F12 Word in s. 47(4) inserted (1.9.2013) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), ss. 107(3)(a)(ii), 120 (with s. 97); S.I. 2013/1906, art. 3(d)
  13. F13 S. 47(4A)-(4D) inserted (1.9.2013) by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9), ss. 107(3)(b), 120 (with s. 97); S.I. 2013/1906, art. 3(d)
  14. F14 Words in s. 47(4B)-(4D) substituted (9.11.2016) by The Transfer of Functions (Elections, Referendums, Third Sector and Information) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/997), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 14(2)(m) (with art. 12)
  15. F15 Word in s. 47(4D) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(f); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  16. F16 Word in s. 47(5) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(g)(i); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  17. F17 Words in s. 47(5) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(g)(ii); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  18. F18 Word in s. 47(6) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(10)(h); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

  1. C1 S. 47 applied (with modifications) (1.1.2005) by The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/3391), reg. 16(5) (with reg. 3)
  2. C2 S. 47(4B)-(4D): functions transferred (9.12.2015) by The Transfer of Functions (Information and Public Records) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1897), arts. 1(2), 4(1), (2)(i) (with art. 5)

Commencement Information

  1. I1 S. 47 wholly in force at 30.11.2002; s. 47(2)-(6) in force at Royal Assent, see s. 87(1)(d); s. 47(1) in force at 30.11.2002 by S.I. 2002/2812, art. 2(c)

Marginal Citations

  1. M1 1958 c. 51.
  2. M2 1923 c. 20.

https://foia.digiphile.law/article/article-47.html

Text as at 7 October 2026.

This is an unofficial convenience version of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. It is presented “as is” without guarantee of accuracy, completeness or reliability. See the source text for the official version. This site was last updated in October 2026.

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