Police Headquarters
173 Pitt Street
GLASGOW
G2 4JS
Tel: 0141 435 1216
Fax: 0141 435 1218
Dear Mr Gilmour
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NUMBER 0503/08
I refer to your request for information dated 10 June 2008, which was received by Strathclyde Police on same date. In order for us to continue with your recent Freedom of Information Request we will require a postal address to enable us to send you the information you require.
Although under section 11(1) of FOI(S)A we must take your preferred method of response into account:
"Where, in requesting information from a Scottish public authority, the applicant expresses a preference for receiving it by any one or more of the means mentioned in subsection (2), the authority must, so far as it is reasonably practicable, give effect to that preference" on this occasion, this is not reasonably practicable under the terms of section 11(3) as described below. “In determining, for the purposes of subsection (1), what is reasonably practicable, the authority may have regard to all circumstances, including cost; and where it determines that it is not reasonably practicable to give effect to the preference it must notify the applicant of the reasons for that determination."
This force does not currently maintain a disclosure log of requests and in order for us to supply the requested information by email will require us to locate, redact the personal details from the requests, rescan all of the information and re-file over 270 requests (involving several hundred documents) and would cost over the £600 or 40 hours prescribed by Scottish Ministers under the Act.
If you would prefer me to send a list of “subjects” we have dealt with in order that you might narrow your request I can do so. Otherwise, I would grateful if you could reply to us as soon as possible in order for me to respond to your request. Should you require any further assistance concerning this matter please contact me directly on 0141 435 1216 quoting the reference number given.