Publication scheme

Each government department has a publication scheme, which makes information available to the public about how it operates and how it spends its budget.

Charity Commission publication scheme

Here you will find information that has been proactively released by the Charity Commission under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Most of the information covered by the publication scheme will be made available on this site and you won’t need to make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for it. If you need information in an alternative format, we will do all we reasonably can to help.

Our publication scheme follows the Information Commissioner’s model publication scheme for public authorities.

Classes of information

All of the information is set into ‘classes’. These classes are:

Who we are and what we do

The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the body responsible for regulating the charity sector in those locations. The following information explains the role of the Commission and what we do. This includes:

What we spend and how we spend it

This includes:

What our priorities are and how we are doing

This includes:

How we make decisions

This includes:

Our policies and procedures

This includes:

Schemes and orders

We publish some orders, schemes and official warnings. These are usually issued when charities are not running effectively.

Through this site people can also make representations following the publication of a draft scheme or order. Representations can be made by an advocate or person acting on the applicant’s behalf, but we may ask for written confirmation of this.

Lists and registers

The services we offer

Charging for information

Our aim is to make as much information as possible available free of charge.

At present there will be no charge for information available on this website. Published documents, for example legislation, will have links to the appropriate website where a charge may be made. Where a charge is applicable this will be indicated with a pound sign ‘£’.

A paper copy of the information contained on this website (including paper copies of reports available in electronic form) is available on request. Our website is the best way to contact us.

Official requests for information

Before making an FOI request, it is worth checking to see if the information is already available via the publication scheme. If you cannot find the information you require after searching the publication scheme, you may have to submit a request for information to us.

This must be submitted in writing to:

Freedom of Information Team [email protected]

Be specific

You will get the information faster if you help us identify the exact information you require. It will also mean that your request is less likely to be turned down on cost grounds. Make sure that you:

  • are specific about exactly what information you want
  • provide us with a narrow, tightly focused request
  • give, where appropriate, a relevant time frame the information relates to

You should state how you wish to receive the information, by letter or by email.

Please note that we cannot accept FOI requests over the phone. FOI requests from anonymous/pseudonymous requesters, that is people who do not give their names or give false names, may not be accepted.

We will deal with your request as quickly as we can and will aim to let you have a response within 20 working days. If for any reason we are unable to let you have a response within 20 working days, we will contact you as soon as possible explaining the reason for this.

Environmental information regulations

Some information held by the department may be subject to Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs). ‘Environmental information’ covers a wide range of topics, which relate to or affect the environment. Applications for information can be made by anyone, anywhere in the world.

The Information Commissioner’s Office, which supervises both the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Data Protection Act 1998, also supervises the operation of the EIRs.

Environmental Information Regulations 2004

If you wish to make a request for environmental information under EIR please contact the Freedom of Information central team by sending an email to [email protected].

Alternatively, you can make a written request to the following address:

Freedom of Information Team [email protected].

Please provide as much detail as possible to help identify the information sought. Subject to the exceptions provided for in the Act we seek to provide the information within 20 working days of receiving the request.

Most documents supplied by the Charity Commission will have been produced by government officials and will be protected by Crown copyright.

You may re-use the Crown copyright protected material (not including the Royal Arms and other departmental or agency logos) free of charge in any format for non-commercial research, private study or internal circulation within your organisation. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and you must give the title of the source document or publication.

Please see The National Archives website for more information on Crown copyright policy.

All the content on this website is under the Open Government Licence, except where otherwise stated.

Information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Therefore, information you receive which is not subject to Crown copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before reproducing any third party (non-Crown copyright) information.

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