Introduction to WhatDoTheyKnow

What is WhatDoTheyKnow for?

To help you find out inside information about what the UK government is doing.

How does the site work?

You choose the public body that you would like information from, then write a brief note describing what you want to know. We then send your request to the public body. Any response they make is automatically published on the website for you and anyone else to find and read.

Why would I bother to do this?

You pay taxes, and then Government does things with the money. All sorts of things that affect your life, from healthcare through to national defence. Some it does badly, some it does well. The more we find out about how Government works, the better able we are to make suggestions to improve the things that are done badly, and to celebrate the things that are done well.

Why would the public body bother to reply?

Under Freedom of Information law, they have to respond.

Who makes it?

WhatDoTheyKnow is made by mySociety, and was initially funded by the JRSST Charitable Trust. mySociety is a project of the registered charity UK Citizens Online Democracy. If you like what we're doing, then you can make a donation.

Making requests

You're missing the public body that I want to request from!

If it is a local council, please find the relevant email address and add it to this shared spreadsheet (Google account required). Otherwise, please contact us with the name of the public body, and if you can find it the email address for FOI requests.

How quickly will I get a response?

By law public bodies must respond within 20 days, excluding weekends and any UK bank holidays. The date that the response is due by is shown on the page for your request. You will be emailed if this date goes by without a response, so you can send the public body another note to hurry them up.