The reuse of public sector information
The Reuse of Public Sector Information Regulations came into force in the UK on 1st July 2005. From this date anyone can request to reuse information held by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
It intends:
- To recognise that public sector information is a valuable information resource that could be utilised by the private sector to develop value added products and services.
- To remove barriers to reuse information and therefore act as a stimulus to the information and publishing industry in Europe so providing significant economic opportunities and enhance job creation across Europe, as experienced in the United States.
- To improve the flow of information from the public sector to the citizen.
The definition of reuse
The term reuse means using a document for a purpose other than that for which it was initially made. The reuse of information within Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service means the use by someone else, of documents held by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA), for purposes other than the initial purpose within the FRA. However, the transfer from one public sector body to another to carry out their public task does not amount to reuse.
Asset list
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is in the process of creating an Asset List. This contains all the information that SFRS produces that is of interest or value to the organisation itself, and potentially to others. It can be viewed on the website very shortly.
Fees
In most cases the information can be re-used free of charge, however the Service reserves the right to charge for administering information requests that are not contained within the IAR, subject to the limits set by Government.
Implied licence
The majority of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority’s documents/publications will be issued under an implied licence. This notice states that information can be re-used freely subject to acknowledging the copyright, identifying the source and not using it in a misleading manner; this is called an implied licence.
Formal licence
Where there is a wider number of terms or where there are applications for permission to reproduce material for any commercial purpose, the Service will issue a formal licence which can be accessed and applied for through the comments section of the website, this may be subject to a fee. All applications of this nature will be considered by the Director of Assets and Resources.
The Service has the right to refuse the re-use of documents in certain circumstances. This is expected to generally be because:
- Copyright is owned by a third party.
- Supply of the document falls outside the scope of the Authority’s public task.
- The document falls under an exempt class under FOI and/or Data Protection legislation.
The reason or reasons for refusing to allow re-use must be explained to applicants within 20 working days, and should include details of how the applicant may complain or appeal against the decision.
Copyright
The information featured on this website is the copyright of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service unless otherwise indicated. You may re-use the information on this website free of charge in any format. Re-use includes copying, issuing copies to the public, publishing, broadcasting and translating into other languages.
It also covers non-commercial research and study. You must:
- Acknowledge the source and our copyright in cases where you supply the information to others.
- Reproduce the information accurately.
- Not use the information in a misleading way.
- Not use the information for the principal purpose of advertising or promoting a particular product or service.