Copy of cost-benefit analysis into e-counting for the 2012 elections

From: [FOI #18547 email]
To: [Greater London Authority request email]
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Copy of cost-benefit
analysis into e-counting for the 2012 elections

The Mayor would like to thank you for your interest in his work and he is
keen to answer your query as quickly and fully as possible. As you will
appreciate, he receives very large amount of correspondence but he is
committed to responding to your query within 20 working days.

However, the Greater London Authority (GLA) will only respond to queries
that relate to its work and will refer relevant queries to the appropriate
functional body for them to reply e.g. transport related queries will be
referred to Transport for London (TfL).

Please note that the GLA does not accept unsolicited job applications or
C.V's. Information on current vacancies is available on our website at:
[1]http://www.london.gov.uk/jobs.jsp

Thank you for taking the time to write to the Mayor of London, Boris
Johnson.

Yours truly

Public Liaison Unit

References

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1. http://www.london.gov.uk/jobs.jsp

Dear Mr Pack,

Thank you for your request for information received on 26 September 2009.

Please find a response attached.

Yours sincerely,

Alison Turner
Public Liaison Unit
Greater London Authority

Dear Sir or Madam,

Can you please provide a copy of any cost-benefit analysis, and
associated documents, carried out into the possibility of using
e-counting or e-voting for the 2012 London Assembly and Mayor
elections.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Mark Pack

show quoted sections

Back London's bid to the FA to be a host city for the 2018 World Cup.
Visit http://www.england2018bid.com and choose London as your
favourite host city when registering your support for bringing
the World Cup to England.

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From: [FOI #18547 email]
To: [Greater London Authority request email]
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Copy of
cost-benefit analysis into e-counting for the 2012 elections

The Mayor would like to thank you for your interest in his work and he is
keen to answer your query as quickly and fully as possible. As you will
appreciate, he receives very large amount of correspondence but he is
committed to responding to your query within 20 working days.

However, the Greater London Authority (GLA) will only respond to queries
that relate to its work and will refer relevant queries to the appropriate
functional body for them to reply e.g. transport related queries will be
referred to Transport for London (TfL).

Please note that the GLA does not accept unsolicited job applications or
C.V's. Information on current vacancies is available on our website at:
[1]http://www.london.gov.uk/jobs.jsp

Thank you for taking the time to write to the Mayor of London, Boris
Johnson.

Yours truly

Public Liaison Unit

References

Visible links
1. http://www.london.gov.uk/jobs.jsp

To: Mark Pack ([FOI #18547 email])

Dear Mr Pack,

Internal review of GLA response to request-18547-a6a34932

I refer to your email of 24 October 2009, which asks the GLA to conduct an internal review of our response to your FOI request of 26 September 2009. Your email alleges that (a) the legal deadline was not met and (b) the reply did not contain the cost benefit analysis and other associated documents, nor gives a reason for the failure to provide them.

In line with the GLA's procedures I have now conducted a review of the reply you received.

In relation to (a), my finding is that the GLA met the legal deadline. We replied to your request on 26 October 2009, which is the twentieth working day following the date of receipt of the request, in accordance with section 10(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ('the Act').

Regarding (b), you requested "a copy of any cost benefit analysis, and associated documents, carried out into the possibility of using e-counting or e-voting for the 2012 London Assembly and Mayor elections".

The GLA's Special Projects and Elections team advise me that they provided a copy of the cost benefit analysis (the 'CBA') to you by email on 1 October 2009. They are content that you treat that provision of the CBA as a partial response to your above FOI request i.e. as a release under the Act.

Regarding the reference in your request to "associated documents", I consider that the Special Projects and Elections team should have contacted you to clarify what sort of information 'associated' with the CBA you are interested in. Documents 'associated' with the CBA could cover a wide range of information (including eg. feedback from London Boroughs on e-counting, documents and invoices from e-counting contractors and related suppliers) and I believe that locating, retrieving, and extracting relevant information from all that is held is likely to exceed the statutory fees limit (£450), especially as the GLA's London elections administration team was disbanded about 9 months ago. Please keep in mind that section 12 of the Act makes provision for public authorities, such as the GLA, to refuse requests for information where the cost of dealing with them would exceed the statutory limit. The limit represents the estimated cost of one person spending 2.5 working days (at a cost of £25 per hour) in determining whether the authority holds the information, and locating, retrieving and extracting it.

Therefore, I have asked John Bennett who managed the London elections team, and is the only person from that team still working at the GLA, to contact you within the next 5 working days to clarify what sort of information 'associated' with the CBA you are interested in.

I hope the above explanation resulting from my review answers the points raised in your complaint.

If you remain unhappy with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely,

Rosemary Cairns
Information Governance Manager
Greater London Authority

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Greater London
Authority's handling of my FOI request 'Copy of cost-benefit
analysis into e-counting for the 2012 elections'.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/co...

As you can see, my initial request was for a copy of the cost
benefit analysis, along with associated documents.

In reply:

(a) The legal deadline was not met, and
(b) The reply I did subsequently received neither contains the cost
benefit analysis and other associated documents nor gives a reason
for the failure to provide them

Given the legally binding nature of the FoI legislation, I am
somewhat surprised that staff have taken it upon themselves not
only to ignore the legal deadlines but also then to supply a
response that - whilst including a lengthy defence of the GLRO's
behaviour - does not actually supply the information that you are
legally obliged to provide.

I hope you will therefore ensure that (a) my request is fully
complied with, (b) an explanation for this double failure to comply
with the law is supplied and (c) you let me know what actions are
being taken to ensure that staff comply with the law in future.

Yours faithfully,

Mark Pack

show quoted sections

Back London's bid to the FA to be a host city for the 2018 World Cup.
Visit http://www.england2018bid.com and choose London as your
favourite host city when registering your support for bringing
the World Cup to England.

GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY
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The information in this email may contain confidential or privileged materials.
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