Categorisation of FoI Requests

Dear Sir or Madam,

In the recently published FOI Annual Report for 2007, it is stated
that "Departments are asked to assign one of the following
categories to each request: Media, Business, Solicitor, Researcher,
Pressure Group, Public Representative, or Member of the Public."

Can you please make available copies of any information that has
been created or provided to departments to assist them in
determining what category each request or requestor will fall
under.

Yours faithfully,

Richard

Dear Ken,

Thank you for this response. There is very little information in
the documents provided, however, that discusses the means by which
the source of a request is to be identified: only the categories
that should be used. The main point in this regard seems to be the
statement that if it is difficult to identify or substantiate the
source then "member of the public" should be used.

Has any guidance at all been given on how staff members are meant
to approach this? Is it merely based on any identification supplied
with the request (e.g. if it is on headed notepaper), or are, for
example, lists of known journalists, campaigners etc used? Is there
scope in this process for the same person to make requests in
different contexts: e.g. a campaigner in one area making a
completely unrelated personal request in a different area?

I would also ask that you provide an unredacted copy of the
document supplied. It is difficult to see how points included in
"Guidance Notes re Categorisation" are not relevant to an enquiry
about categorisation. If you have other reasons for redacting them,
I would ask that you please issue a proper refusal notice.

I am also having difficulty finding information on the Northern
Ireland FOI Practitioners group referred to. Does it have a
website, or publish any information (e.g. minutes of its meetings)?
If someone were to want to make FOI requests in relation to it,
would that be through the OFMDFM, or some other address?

Thanks,

Richard

Dear Norah/David,

Thank you for your response. In relation to the redacted
information that you claim is not relevant to my request, I would
repeat that I cannot see how sections of a document entitled
"Guidance Notes Re Categorisation" are not relevant in response to
a query as to how requests are categorised. I would therefore
request an internal review of this.

If you would provide the full, unredacted, document in relation to
a differently worded request (e.g. to a simple request for a copy
of the document itself, in which case please treat this as such a
request), please either accordingly provide the document, or advice
on how to phrase a request to obtain that document, or instead
provide a formal refusal notice for the part that you are
redacting.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Jackson