Information Services Directorate
Library
Mr. Andrew Montford
University of East Anglia
Norwich NR4 7TJ
United Kingdom
Email: [University of East Anglia request email]
Tel: +44 (0) 1603 593 523
27 January 2010
Fax: +44 (0) 1603 591 010
Web: http://www.uea.ac.uk
Dear Mr. Montford
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION REGULATIONS 2004 – INFORMATION
REQUEST (FOI_09-202; EIR_09-31)
Your request for information received on 30 December 2009 for information on the steps
the University of East Anglia has taken to ensure compliance with the EIR requirements
for proactive dissemination of environmental information in relation to the work of
scientists at CRU has now been considered and the information requested is enclosed
herewith. For your convenience, I have reproduced your request in the attachment to
this letter and provided our response thereunder. I trust this will be to your satisfaction.
Please note that this request has been initially considered under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and we have determined that we are not obliged to supply the
information you have requested under that Act.
The exemption applied is section 39, exempting information that is ‘environmental
information’ within the meaning of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 from
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
This exemption applies because ‘environmental information’ must be disclosed under
the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR).
In short, we have considered
your request and are providing the information under EIR, not FOIA.
I would also add that any material released over which UEA has copyright is released
subject to the understanding that you will comply with all relevant copyright rules
regarding reproduction and/or transmission of the information released.
You have the right of appeal against this decision. If you wish to appeal, please set out
in writing your grounds of appeal and send to me at:
University of East Anglia
Norwich
NR4 7TJ
Telephone: 0160 359 3523
E-mail: [University of East Anglia request email]
You also have a subsequent right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 745
www.ico.gov.uk
Yours sincerely
David Palmer
Information Policy & Compliance Manager
University of East Anglia
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Response to Environmental Information Regulations request
(FOI_09-202; EIR_09-31)
Under the Environmental Information Regulations, UEA is required to
"(a) progressively make the information available to the public by electronic means
which are easily accessible; and
(b) take reasonable steps to organize the information relevant to its functions with a view
to the active and systematic dissemination to the public of the information."
What steps has UEA taken to ensure compliance with this part of the EIR, in particular
with respect to the work of scientists at CRU?
It is our belief that the both the University and the Climatic Research Unit comply with
the requirement to disseminate information regarding its work and functions to the
public, primarily through its website.
Due to recent events, and the high volume of traffic now being encountered, the CRU
website is currently being rebuilt. However it has a number of pages which demonstrate
the University’s commitment to proactive dissemination of CRU-related information.
A list of available data held by CRU is presented at:
http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/
(Please note that, at present, not all of the links are live as the website is being rebuilt from
scratch, but we believe it indicates that a range of data has routinely been published in line with
EIR requirements)
One of the links from this page takes you to a statement on "data availability" (see:
http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/availability/) which provides extensive information on
how information is compiled, processed and handled along with a bibliography of
relevant research.
We should also note that the CRU website has a page of introductory material on a
variety of climate-related subjects intended for the interested layperson (see:
http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/info/)
The CRU website includes a list of the major publications of the CRU along with a
summary of their contents (see: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/pubs/). A full list of the
publications authored by CRU staff is also available along with links to the full text of
each work (where available) (see: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/pubs/full/). A full list of
reports published by, or in collaboration with, the Climatic Research Unit is presented at
http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/pubs/reports.htm. All these pages are monitored and
updated regularly.
Biographical information on CRU staff is presented on the CRU website as well as
information on the academic programmes associated with the CRU.
On the School of Environmental Sciences (ENV) website, current research highlights
are presented along with links, where available, to the full text of the published research
at (see: https://www.uea.ac.uk/env/research/reshigh) and an archive is also available
(see: https://www.uea.ac.uk/env/research/reshigh/arch). It should be noted that the
ENV website also provides biographies of all CRU research staff along with a complete
list of their publications since 2000 inclusive of links to the full text of their most
significant work (where available).
The ENV website also provides links to initiatives or organisations associated with ENV
such as the Tyndall Centre (see: http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/), the Low Carbon Innovation
Centre (see: http://www.lcic.com/), the CRed Programme (see: http://www.cred-uk.org/),
and Renewables East (see: http://www.renewableseast.org.uk/). Each one of these
sites has extensive information about their work and output.
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