Publication scheme
As a local authority we must publish data and information in line with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) publication scheme model.
Classes of information
- who we are and what we do
- what we spend and how we spend it
- our priorities and performance
- how we make decisions
- our policies and procedures
- lists and registers
- the services we offer
It does not include:
- information the disclosure of which is prevented by law, or exempt under the Freedom of Information Act, or is otherwise properly considered to be protected from disclosure
- information in draft form
- information that is no longer readily available as it is contained in files that have been placed in archive storage, or is difficult to access for similar reasons
Language, translation and other formats
We'll provide information in the language in which it's held, or legally required. We can also make information available in other languages including Cantonese, Bengali, Polish, Urdu and Turkish - see interpreting and translation.
We'll adhere to our obligations under disability and discrimination legislation to provide information in other forms and formats when we provide information in accordance with this scheme.
Charges for information
The purpose of this scheme is to make information readily available at minimum inconvenience and cost to the public.
Any charges for information published under this scheme are specified by Parliament and will be justified, transparent and kept to a minimum.
Charges may relate to costs we've incurred while providing information, such as:
- photocopying
- postage and packing
- the cost of viewing information
Charges may also be made if they are legally authorised and justified in 'the general principles of the right of access to information held by public authorities'.
Well tell you about any costs before information is provided. Payment may also be requested before any information is given.
Written requests for information
You can request information we hold if it's not already published under this scheme in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
Scheme approval and adoption
This scheme was adopted by us on 10 December 2008 and amended in July 2012.
Who we are and what we do
Council constitution
The constitution explains the structure and workings of the council including the main rules and procedures under which the council operates. It sets out who makes decisions and how they are made, and the rights of citizens to obtain information and to influence decisions.
The constitution is maintained under Section 37 of the Local Government Act 2000.
Council democratic structure
Council directorate structure
Our services and functions are grouped within five directorates and the Office of the Chief Executive.
Strategic Leadership Team (SLT)
Strategic Leadership Team (SLT)
Location and opening times of council properties
Our customer centre has information about our opening times and location.
Elected councillors and contact details
Kingston has 48 councillors in total, details of local councillors including names, areas and political parties are available online.
Contact details for service areas
You can contact us via our website. Alternatively our customer centre can provide contact details for each customer-facing service area.
Recent election results
Results of local elections are available online.
Relationships with other authorities
Central government provides funding and guidance on our provision of services we have a close relationship with government departments covering schools and education, and benefits.
We are a member of the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) of local public authorities, providing community leadership in the City. We provide facilities for elections within the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) area for councillors, parish councillors and members of Parliament.
The Returning Officer in charge of elections has a special legal status distinct from the council although the facilities they need are provided by us.
The Monitoring Officer has a slightly different special status, and is responsible for ensuring that we always act lawfully and in the public interest and promote good ethical governance within the council, part of which involves the oversight of complaints about councillors. They also acts as Monitoring Officer for the parishes within our boundaries.
What we spend and how we spend it
Financial statements, budgets and variance reports
Summary budget information describing how we plan to spend money is sent to resident's annual along with council tax information. More details are available in budget papers, capital programme papers, periodic monitoring and variance reports within our modgov system.
Our statement of accounts shows how money actually was spent.
Financial audit reports
The statement of accounts includes the auditor’s certificate.
The members’ allowances scheme
Each year we publish details of councillor allowances and expenses paid to our elected members in the previous year.
Election expenses
Details of election expenses are available via the Guildhall by appointment.
Procurement procedures
We publish general information about our procurement policy.
Contracts currently being tendered
European Union rules for public procurement and our own financial regulations, require open competition between suppliers, and this is achieved by public advertisement for all but the smallest contracts.
Contracts awarded and their value
Information about our contracts can be viewed by potential contractors and members of the public, including those awarded and completed (it may be necessary to set up an account to see some details, but there is no charge).
Internal financial regulations
Financial regulations can be found in the constitution.
Our priorities and performance
Annual report
Our annual report looks back at our achievements over the past year.
Forward plan
Forward plans lists all the key decisions the council has to make over the coming months.
Ofsted reports
OFSTED inspects the provision of education, see Ofsted reports for more information.
How we make decisions
Most decisions are made by councillors, others ('officer decisions') are made by senior officers to keep services running day to day.
Timetable of council meetings
A calendar of upcoming council meetings is available, where can search by committee name, date and ward.
Agendas, reports, background papers and minutes of council committee meetings
Agendas and reports for public meetings are published in advance. See committee meetings.
Analyses of facts considered for major policies
Our report writing protocol requires options and analysis to be presented in all reports so councillors have all relevant information to help them make the right decision.
For particular analyses, see the report on the matter or decision in question (listed by meeting where the decision was made) - searching our modgov system.
Public consultations
Our Business Intelligence team is the first point of contact for enquiries about opinion surveys, other research, and public consultation being carried out by us.
Our policies and procedures
Policies and procedures for conducting council business
The constitution explains our structure, all the rules and procedures under which we operate, who makes decisions and how they are made.
Recruitment and employment policies and procedures
Get information about working for the council, jobs and career. Policies relevant to both recruitment and the delivery of the council’s services include:
Charging policies
All our services (including providing information), may be subject to a charge. Details of costs will be given before the service/information is provided and we may ask for payment before providing services or information.
Lists and registers
The Registrar maintains registers of births, deaths and marriages
Asset register
York's Capital Strategy Statement and Corporate Asset Management Plan ensure we have an effective strategy and operational plan to make the best use of our resources and assets.
Register of councillor's interests
Each councillor’s declaration of interests can be seen via our modgov system.
Registers of gifts and hospitality
Each director keeps a register of any gifts and hospitality received by staff, which is available for inspection during office hours - contact our customer centre to make an appointment.
Register of electors
We make and keeps two versions of the register of electors, the full register, and the edited register. You can buy a copy of the edited register or make an appointment to view the full register - contact our customer centre for details.
Services provided by us
You can find information about all our services on this website or you can contact our customer centre for more information.
About datasets
As a local authority we are required to publish any datasets that are requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The purpose of this is to allow the decisions we make to be more open and transparent to the public.
The datasets must be:
- published in an electronic reusable format
and either:
- free of charge under the Open Government License for Public Sector Information
- or for a fee if it is a dataset we own and have copyrighted
What is a dataset?
As defined by the Protection of Freedom Act (2012) a dataset is any set of information that is:
- Raw data
- Numerical
- A set (more than one fact or figure)
Examples of datasets include:
- Property list data
- Council job role data
- Council spend data
Datasets under this definition exclude official central government statistics to avoid duplication of effort.
When a dataset has to be published electronically
You do not have to explicitly ask for a dataset to be made available electronically. The dataset should be made available electronically and in a reusable form, unless you explicitly ask otherwise (ie you request a hardcopy of the dataset).
Exempt datasets
There is no duty to provide information that was not previously accessible under the FOIA, and it may be that exemptions still apply.