Section 1 - Introduction

Under Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, The Football Licensing Authority (FLA) is required to adopt and maintain a scheme for the publication of information held by the FLA. All such schemes require the approval of the Information Commissioner. We shall publish information in accordance with the scheme and shall monitor and review its operation.

Aims and objectives of the Football Licensing Authority

The FLA is an independent non-departmental public body funded by payment of grant-in-aid by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

It was established by the Football Spectators Act 1989 to ensure the implementation of the Government’s policy on the safety and comfort of spectators at designated football matches. This is reflected in its overall aims, which are to:

• bring about the reasonable safety and management of spectators at Premiership, Football League and international grounds in England and Wales, in particular through:
  
• local authorities setting, monitoring and enforcing such terms and conditions as are reasonably necessary in safety certificates; and
  
• clubs taking full responsibility for managing spectator safety at their grounds to a reasonable standard;
  
• implement Government policy on spectator accommodation through:
  
• Premiership, First Division, international and, where possible, lower division grounds becoming all seated; and
  
• any remaining standing accommodation meeting the prescribed standard;
  
• deploy the experience and expertise of the FLA to best effect, in particular by:

- providing the Government and, as appropriate, other bodies with advice and assistance on sports ground policy and safety issues; and

- advising the Government on the future development of the FLA’s role.

These aims were formulated in the aftermath of the Hillsborough Stadium disaster of April 1989. These were designed to address some of the main failings identified by Lord Justice Taylor’s inquiry, in particular the general pattern of poor grounds, inadequate safety management and insufficient oversight by local authorities. The aim in respect of the standard of standing accommodation was added following the Government’s decision in July 1992 that clubs in the two lower divisions would no longer be required to make their grounds all seated.

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 received Royal Assent on 30 November 2000. It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on public authorities. The FLA is a public authority under the Act and is therefore bound by its provisions.

Individuals already have the right of access to information about themselves under the Data Protection Act 1998. As far as public authorities are concerned, the Freedom of Information Act will, from January 2005, extend this right to allow public access to all types of information held.

Subject only to certain prescribed conditions and exemptions set out in Sections 21 to 40 in Part II of the Freedom of Information Act, the public will have a statutory right:

• to be told whether the FLA holds information of the description specified in the request; and if so
• to have that information disclosed.

Purpose and aims of the Publication Scheme

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act the FLA is required produce a publication scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to provide the public with quick and easy access to information held by the FLA. The scheme aims to do this by bringing together in one place:

• the classes of information the FLA publishes or intends to publish;
• the manner in which information in each class is or is intended to be published; and
• whether the material is or is intended to be available free of charge or on payment of a fee.

Responsibility for the FLA Publication Scheme

The Chief Executive of the FLA has overall responsibility for the FLA Publication Scheme.

The person responsible for maintaining the publication scheme on a daily basis is:

Keith Sears
Football Licensing Authority
27 Harcourt House
19 Cavendish Square
London
W1G 0PL

Email: keith.sears@flaweb.org.uk

Section 2 - Information Classes

This publication scheme aims to make as much FLA information as possible readily accessible to the public. The information provided under the scheme has been grouped under four broad categories:

• Strategic management

• Safety policy and advice

• Safety information

• Information on the FLA

Within each of these broad categories the scheme lists the classes of information the FLA publishes or intends to publish. Each class of information includes:

• A brief description of the information available within the class

• The format in which the information is made available

• The cost, if any, for the information

Information identified as being available on the FLA web site can be accessed on www.flaweb.org.uk. All information on the web site is freely available for downloading, if you have internet access. Alternatively, copies will be provided on request. Requests for published information should be made to:

Nikki Rutherford
Football Licensing Authority
27 Harcourt House
19 Cavendish Square
London
W1G 0PL

Email: nikki.rutherford@flaweb.org.uk Tel No. 020 7491 7191

Some of the documents in the publication scheme may be edited where, in the view of the FLA, particular information should not be disclosed because of confidentiality, commercial sensitivity or other specified grounds. Where a document is edited it will be clearly marked to show information has been removed and the reason for doing so. If you wish to complain about the use of an exemption or any other aspect of the Publication Scheme please write to:

Keith Sears
Football Licensing Authority
27 Harcourt House
19 Cavendish Square
London
W1G 0PL