Cost of FOI Requests to the Bexley Taxpayer

A Marr made this Freedom of Information request to Bexley Borough Council

The request was refused by Bexley Borough Council.

From: A Marr

5 March 2010

Dear Bexley Borough Council,

Please could you supply me with the following information.

In the last 2 years could you rank the number of requests against
the number of individual requesters (including their name if
possible - which seems to be acceptable), and also supply the cost
of the requests by the individual? Largest figure first.

Could you also supply the number of requests made by Political
Party's and whom and the cost of these also?

How many requests were made by individuals/groups which could have
been dealt with by a simple google search (or similar method), and
what was the cost?

In total in the last 2 years, how much has the FOI system cost
Bexley taxpayers?

Yours faithfully,

A Marr

Link to this

From: Freedom of Information
Bexley Borough Council

11 March 2010

Dear A Marr,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST
Cost of FOI Requests to the Bexley Taxpayer - our reference 10/177

I acknowledge your request for information received on 5th March 2010.

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined
by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information not
being exempt or containing a reference to a third party.

For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions, which may
prevent release of the information you have requested. There will be an
assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then the
information will not be released. You will be informed if this is the
case, including your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then
they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not
to release the information to you. You will be informed if this is the
case.

There may a fee payable for this information. This will be considered
and you will be informed if a fee is payable. In this event the fee must
be paid before the information is processed and released. The 20 working
day time limit for responses is suspended until receipt of the payment.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Local
Studies Librarian and Freedom of Information Officer, Bexley Local
Studies and Archive Centre, Central Library, Townley Road, Bexleyheath,
Kent DA6 7HJ.

Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner
at: Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

John Grosvenor
Local Studies Librarian and Freedom of Information Officer
London Borough of Bexley
Local Studies and Archive Centre,
Townley Road,
Bexleyheath,
Kent. DA6 7HJ
Tel: 020 8303 7777 ext 3369
DDI 020 8836 7369
Fax: 020 8304 7058
[email address]

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Link to this

From: A Marr

11 March 2010

Dear Freedom of Information,

As the majority of information I am after is in the News Shopper
this week, I wish to change my request to just the names of the
individuals and Groups.

I do not wish to waste money like the other individuals but feel we
should be able to know who is wasting our money with these
questions.

Yours sincerely,

A Marr

Link to this

From: Freedom of Information
Bexley Borough Council

12 March 2010

Dear A Marr,

Thank you for your email, received Friday 12th March.

Your revised request (FOI reference 10/177) will be considered and a
response provided within the 20 working day timescale.

Yours sincerely,

John Grosvenor
Local Studies Librarian and Freedom of Information Officer
London Borough of Bexley
Local Studies and Archive Centre,
Townley Road,
Bexleyheath,
Kent. DA6 7HJ
Tel: 020 8303 7777 ext 3369
DDI 020 8836 7369
Fax: 020 8304 7058
[email address]

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Link to this

From: A Marr

13 April 2010

Dear Freedom of Information,

My request appears to have been ignored or delayed. There should be
no reason for this as there is no legislation that says you can not
give me the information I have requested. It is a very reasonable
request and one which I have had success with from Government
dpartments.

Please send me the relevant information I require ASAP
Yours sincerely,

A Marr

Link to this

From: Freedom of Information
Bexley Borough Council

14 April 2010

Attachment Re Freedom of Information request Cost of FOI Requests to the Bexley Taxpayer our reference 10 177.txt
3K Download View as HTML

Dear A Marr,

I apologise for the deadline that has occurred regarding your Freedom of
Information request dated 11th March 2010, attached and received by
Bexley 12th March 2010.

I can confirm that the information is held by the London Borough of
Bexley. The Council is considering whether an exemption applies to your
request. The exemption that is being considered is Section 40 (2),
Personal information.

I hope to be able to provide the response for your request soon. I am
unable to give you a specific date / time.

Thank you for your patience.

Yours sincerely,

John Grosvenor
Local Studies Librarian and Freedom of Information Officer
London Borough of Bexley
Local Studies and Archive Centre,
Townley Road,
Bexleyheath,
Kent. DA6 7HJ
Tel: 020 8303 7777 ext 3369
DDI 020 8836 7369
Fax: 020 8304 7058
[email address]

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Link to this

Michael Traill left an annotation (19 April 2010)

Re the internal review response.

What a pathetic letter. Nothing mentioned about the reasoning etc etc as most authorities provide.

Hopefulyl the original requestor will make a complaint to the ICO.

Link to this

Michael Traill left an annotation (19 April 2010)

I have indeed posted that annotation on the wrong request page!

Sorry!

Link to this

From: A Marr

26 April 2010

Dear Freedom of Information,

By law the information I requested should by now have arrived, but
obviously Bexley Council are not up to the job.

You say you have the information but are deciding if I can have it,
why can Government departments give this info out but Bexley
Council feels it can not?

I await your response with interest, prior to taking the matter
further.

Yours sincerely,

A Marr

Link to this

From: Freedom of Information
Bexley Borough Council

27 April 2010

Dear A Marr,

My apologies on behalf of the London Borough of Bexley for the continued
delay regarding the response to your enquiry. As previously stated, the
Council is considering whether the information can be disclosed to you
or whether it should be withheld.

Normally, Bexley aims to respond to Freedom of Information requests
within the statutory timescale of 20 working days, but on this occasion,
it has not been possible to do so. I will continue to monitor the
situtaion and I will endeavour to make a response to you as soon as
possible.

Yours sincerely,

John Grosvenor
Local Studies Librarian and Freedom of Information Officer
London Borough of Bexley
Local Studies and Archive Centre,
Townley Road,
Bexleyheath,
Kent. DA6 7HJ
Tel: 020 8303 7777 ext 3369
DDI 020 8836 7369
Fax: 020 8304 7058
[email address]

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Link to this

From: A Marr

21 May 2010

Dear Bexley Borough Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Bexley Borough
Council's handling of my FOI request 'Cost of FOI Requests to the
Bexley Taxpayer'.

That matter has now dragged on for many months, and no real answer
has been returned.

Similar requests to Government departments has provided information
such as this yet it seems this is not good enough for Bexley!

Please end this matter quickly or maybe look to getting a proper
legal team who can handle such requests.

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

Yours faithfully,

A Marr

Link to this

From: Freedom of Information
Bexley Borough Council

2 June 2010

Attachment Response 02.06.10.doc
126K Download View as HTML

Dear A Marr,

I apologise on behalf of the London Borough of Bexley for the delay that
has occurred regarding your Freedom of Information request.

Please find the attached response.

Yours sincerely,

John Grosvenor
Local Studies Librarian and Freedom of Information Officer
London Borough of Bexley
Local Studies and Archive Centre,
Townley Road,
Bexleyheath,
Kent. DA6 7HJ
Tel: 020 8303 7777 ext 3369
DDI 020 8836 7369
Fax: 020 8304 7058
[email address]

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Link to this

Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Bexley Borough Council only: