Publication scheme | Freedom of information

The School publication scheme is also available in hard copy and can be requested by contacting foi@lshtm.ac.uk.

1. Legal requirement

1.1 Adopting a publication scheme is a requirement of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This Act promotes greater openness and accountability across the public sector by requiring all 'public authorities' to make information available proactively, through a publication scheme.

1.2 'Public authorities' are defined in the Act and include universities, further education colleges and sixth form colleges.

2. What is a publication scheme?

2.1 A publication scheme is a document which describes the information a public authority publishes, or intends to publish. In this context, 'publish' means to make information available, routinely. These descriptions are called 'classes of information'. The scheme is not a list of the actual publications, because this will change as new material is published or existing material revised. It is, however, the public authority's commitment to make available the information described.

2.2 A publication scheme must set out the classes, or categories, of information published. It must also make clear how the information described can be accessed and whether or not charges will be made.

3. The model publication scheme

3.1 As of January 2009 there is one approved model scheme which must be adopted by all public authorities. This lists information under seven broad classes. The School has produced its publication scheme in accordance with the definition documentation for universities.

4. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

4.1 The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is Britain's national school of public health and a leading postgraduate institution in Europe for public health and tropical medicine. Part of the University of London, the London School is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in public health, international health and tropical medicine with a remarkable depth and breadth of expertise. It is one of the highest-rated research institutions in the UK.

4.2 The mission of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is to contribute to the improvement of health worldwide through the pursuit of excellence in research, postgraduate teaching, advanced training and consultancy in international public health and tropical medicine.

5. Accessing information covered by the publication scheme

5.1 The classes of information we publish are described in Part 2 of the scheme.

5.2 In each class we have indicated the manner in which the information described will be available. We have also indicated whether charges apply to material in each class. Publications available on the School website will be available free of charge. The supply of printed copies of web pages or hard copy documents will incur charges unless otherwise stated. Please see the charging policy for further information. In most cases electronic versions of documents can be sent by email.

5.3 To request information available through our publication scheme,
please contact the Freedom of Information Publication Scheme Co-ordinator, contact details below.

5.4 Please note that a publication scheme relates to 'published' information. Therefore, material covered has already been prepared in a format ready for distribution.

5.5 Almost all publications listed in this publication scheme are the copyright of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and reproduction of material supplied through the publication scheme or in response to a request for information without the express permission of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (or copyright holder) may be an infringement of copyright. Requests for permission to reproduce such material should be addressed to: Freedom of Information Publication Scheme Co-ordinator, contact details below.

6. What about information not covered by the publication scheme?

6.1 From 1 January 2005 you will have the right, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, to request any information held by the School which we have not already made available through our publication scheme.

6.2 Requests will have to be made in writing and, in general, the School will have 20 working days to respond. The School may charge a fee, which will have to be calculated according to Fees Regulations. The School will not be required to release information to which an exemption in the Act legitimately applies. However, the School may be required to explain to the applicant why it is not releasing information and may also have to justify this to the Information Commissioner.

7. Feedback

7.1 It is important that this publication scheme meets your needs. If you find the scheme difficult to understand, please let us know. We also welcome suggestions as to how our scheme might be improved. Any questions, comments or complaints about this scheme should be sent in writing to the Publication Scheme Co-ordinator below.

Victoria Cranna
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Keppel Street
London
WC1E 7HT

Tel: 0207 927 2966
Email: foi@lshtm.ac.uk

7.2 If we are unable to resolve any complaint, you can complain to the Information Commissioner, the independent body who oversees the Freedom of Information Act:

Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

8. Further information

More information about the Freedom of Information Act is available on the Information Commissioner's website

Please note that Scotland has its own Freedom of Information Act and Information Commissioner. For more information, please see the Scottish Executive's website.

Who we are and what we do

Who we are	What we do
Legal Framework	LSHTM Charter (to link)
Organisation	For operational and strategic management, see our Governance pages. For academic structure see our Annual report.
External organisations - partnerships and collaborations:	Salus is a non-trading subsidiary of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine which has been dormant since 1 August 2002. The Bloomsbury Colleges (TBC) group was set up in 2004 and consists of the following six colleges of the University of London: Birkbeck, the Institute of Education, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the Royal Veterinary College, the School of Oriental and African Studies and The School of Pharmacy. The aim of the group is to collaborate together in academic administrative matters so as to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and to gain the benefits of critical mass whilst maintaining the independence to pursue specialist missions. The School currently runs its distance learning programme in collaboration with the University of London's External System. The School runs joint courses with Royal Veterinary College, London School of Economics and University College London and joint PhDs with the Bloomsbury Colleges
Contact	Location and contact details
Student activities	Students' Representative Council

What we spend and how we spend it

Expenditure	Evidenced by
Budgetary and account information	Financial statements
Financial regulations and staff pay	Financial Regulations 2008 Expenses and Benefits Manual Payment of Salaries Academic & Professional Support Pathways Salary Scales Clinical Salary Scales
Register of suppliers. Procurement and tender procedures and reports	Terms and conditions of business Disposal of School Assets - Procedure
Research funding	Fundraising Health worldwide

What our priorities are and how we are doing

Priority/Area	Evidence by
Annual report; corporate and business plans; teaching and learning strategy; academic quality and standards	Mission statement Annual reports Annual operating statement Fundraising strategy School strategy 2012-2017 Research strategy January 2004 and Scientific Annex School's Health Worldwide fundraising initiative Strategy & Workplan 2006-07 to 2001-12 of the Quality & Standards Committee Human Resources Strategy 2008-2012 LSHTM Equality & Diversity Statement LSHTM Equal Opportunities Employment Data: 2008 LSHTM Equal Opportunities Employment Data: 2009 LSHTM Equal Opportunities Employment Data: 2010 Library & Archives Service Operational Plan Library & Archives Service Strategic Plan Health and Safety Strategy Web Strategy
External review information	Quality reports - Periodic review reports Quality reports - Annual monitoring Quality reports - Programme specifications Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 - LSHTM results available on the RAE website and a press release on the RAE results
Government and regulatory reports	Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, LSHTM institution reports for November 2007 and March 2003 QAA report on LSHTM Special Review of Research Degrees

Priority/Area

Evidence by

Annual report; corporate and business plans; teaching and learning strategy; academic quality and standards

Mission statement
Annual reports
Annual operating statement
Fundraising strategy
School strategy 2012-2017
Research strategy January 2004 and Scientific Annex
School's Health Worldwide fundraising initiative
Strategy & Workplan 2006-07 to 2001-12 of the Quality & Standards Committee
Human Resources Strategy 2008-2012
LSHTM Equality & Diversity Statement
LSHTM Equal Opportunities Employment Data: 2008
LSHTM Equal Opportunities Employment Data: 2009
LSHTM Equal Opportunities Employment Data: 2010
Library & Archives Service Operational Plan
Library & Archives Service Strategic Plan
Health and Safety Strategy
Web Strategy

External review information

Quality reports - Periodic review reports
Quality reports - Annual monitoring
Quality reports - Programme specifications

Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 - LSHTM results available on the RAE website and a press release on the RAE results

Government and regulatory reports

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, LSHTM institution reports for November 2007 and March 2003
QAA report on LSHTM Special Review of Research Degrees

How we make decisions

The minutes of LSHTM committees and groups will be available in the publication scheme one year after the date of the meeting. Access to minutes less than a year old will be treated as standard Freedom of Information requests and will therefore be subject to exemptions.

Committee	Group
Minutes, constitution and terms of reference from governing body, council/senate, academic boards, steering groups	Committee structure Guide for Members of Governing Bodies of Universities and Colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Available on the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) website. Board of Management Court of Governors Senate - formerly School Council Senior Management Team (SMT) Planning & Finance Committee Investments Sub-committee Membership Committee Information Services Advisory Group (ISAG) Audit Committee
Teaching and learning committee minutes, constitution and terms of reference. Minutes of staff/student consultation meetings. Appointment committee and procedures	Teaching and Learning Learning and Teaching Policy Committee Quality and Standards Committee Research Degrees Committee Staff/student consultation meetings Director's Meetings with Staff and E-Newsletters Appointment committees and procedures Staff Review Committee Conferment of Titles Committee Equal Opportunities Committee
Other committees	School Safety Committee Biological Services Advisory Committee Radiation Protection Advisory Committee Research Grants & Contracts Advisory Group Ethics Committee Sustainability Group

Committee

Group

Minutes, constitution and terms of reference from governing body, council/senate, academic boards, steering groups

Committee structure
Guide for Members of Governing Bodies of Universities and Colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Available on the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) website.

Board of Management
Court of Governors
Senate - formerly School Council
Senior Management Team (SMT)
Planning & Finance Committee
Investments Sub-committee
Membership Committee
Information Services Advisory Group (ISAG)
Audit Committee

Teaching and learning committee minutes, constitution and terms of reference. Minutes of staff/student consultation meetings. Appointment committee and procedures

Teaching and Learning
Learning and Teaching Policy Committee
Quality and Standards Committee
Research Degrees Committee

Staff/student consultation meetings
Director's Meetings with Staff and E-Newsletters

Appointment committees and procedures
Staff Review Committee
Conferment of Titles Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee

Other committees

School Safety Committee
Biological Services Advisory Committee
Radiation Protection Advisory Committee
Research Grants & Contracts Advisory Group
Ethics Committee
Sustainability Group

Lists and registers

List/Register	Evidenced by
Any information we are currently legally required to hold in publicly available registers. Asset registers	Register of interests for Board Members
Disclosure logs	There is not an official disclosure logs but all Freedom of Information requests are logged on a database and elements of this can be made publicly available.

Services we offer

Prospectus and course content
Welfare and counselling
Health including medical services
Disability support
Careers service
Sports and recreational facilities
Library & Archives Service
News from the School
Events
Students' Representative Council
Alumni

Charges/fees

The purpose of this scheme is to make the maximum amount of information readily available at minimum inconvenience and cost to the public. Charges made by the School for routinely published material will be justified and transparent and kept to a minimum.

Information accessible via the School website is available free of charge. Information that can be provided as an electronic copy, usually via email, will be provided free of charge.

Charges may be made for actual disbursements incurred such as:

photocopying
printing
postage and packaging
the costs directly incurred as a result of viewing information

Current printed publications such as the Annual Report and Prospectus will be provided free of charge. There may be a charge for back issues of these documents if they need to be printed from a computer or photocopied.

Charges may also be made for information provided under this scheme where they are legally authorised, they are in all the circumstances, including the general principles of the right of access to information held by public authorities, justified and are in accordance with a published schedule or schedules of fees which is readily available to the public.

If a charge is to be made, confirmation of the payment due will be given before the information is provided. Payment may be requested prior to provision of the information.

Details of charges are available on application to the Freedom of Information Publication Scheme Co-ordinator.