Have you ever wanted to know:

- Which doctor has the best operation success rate in your health trust?

- If MI5 has a file on you?

- The actual number and type of crimes that happen in your street?

- Which streets are targeted by parking attendants in your area?

- Which buildings have failed their fire safety inspections?



The public had no right to most of this information - until now. In 2005 the Freedom of Information Act came into force giving the British public a legal right, for the first time, to access information from more than 100,000 public authorities. But in order to take advantage of this new right you first have to know who holds the information and how to get it. This guide gives you the tools you need to get the information you want.



This edition comes with a new foreword by Ian Hislop.