Dear Sir or Madam,

I have read (maybe unreliably) that new posters have been put up in
House of Commons toilets, giving instructions on how people should
wash their hands to get them clean and remove germs.

This was noted here
http://order-order.com/2009/06/25/clean-...

Can you confirm/deny the report?

If the report is true, can you explain the basis on which this was
considered necessary - particularly what infections have occurred
that were due to HoC staff not washing their hands properly, what
proportion of people in the House of Commons did not wash their
hands properly (whether leading to infection or not), and what
proportion of these people will react positively and (following the
introduction of the posters) will in future wash their hands
properly?

Yours faithfully,

Paul Perrin

Dear Mr Perrin

Thank you for your request for information dated 25 June 2009, received
by us the same day, which is copied below.

We will respond promptly to your request within 20 working days, i.e. on
or before 23 July 2009.

Yours sincerely

________________________________________________________________

Brenda Brevitt
Project Officer
FOI, Department of Resources
House of Commons
P Please consider the environment before printing

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have read (maybe unreliably) that new posters have been put up in
House of Commons toilets, giving instructions on how people should
wash their hands to get them clean and remove germs.

This was noted here
http://order-order.com/2009/06/25/clean-...

Can you confirm/deny the report?

If the report is true, can you explain the basis on which this was
considered necessary - particularly what infections have occurred
that were due to HoC staff not washing their hands properly, what
proportion of people in the House of Commons did not wash their
hands properly (whether leading to infection or not), and what
proportion of these people will react positively and (following the
introduction of the posters) will in future wash their hands
properly?

Yours faithfully,

Paul Perrin

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Perrin

(This is a re-send of the earlier message with a corrected FO case number)

Thank you for your request for information dated 25 June 2009, received by us the same day, which is copied below.

We will respond promptly to your request within 20 working days, i.e. on or before 23 July 2009.

Yours sincerely
________________________________________________________________
Brenda Brevitt
Project Officer
FOI, Department of Resources
House of Commons
 Please consider the environment before printing

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have read (maybe unreliably) that new posters have been put up in
House of Commons toilets, giving instructions on how people should
wash their hands to get them clean and remove germs.

This was noted here
http://order-order.com/2009/06/25/clean-...

Can you confirm/deny the report?

If the report is true, can you explain the basis on which this was
considered necessary - particularly what infections have occurred
that were due to HoC staff not washing their hands properly, what
proportion of people in the House of Commons did not wash their
hands properly (whether leading to infection or not), and what
proportion of these people will react positively and (following the
introduction of the posters) will in future wash their hands
properly?

Yours faithfully,

Paul Perrin

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Perrin,

Thank you for your request for information which is shown below.

I am sorry for the delay but we have been unable to complete a response to your request by the intended deadline of 23 July 2009. It is being considered as a matter of priority and will be responded to as soon as possible. Details of how to make a complaint about the handling of your request will follow with the response.

Bob Castle
Head of Information Rights and Information Security House of Commons

FOI, Department of Resources
House of Commons
 Please consider the environment before printing

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have read (maybe unreliably) that new posters have been put up in
House of Commons toilets, giving instructions on how people should
wash their hands to get them clean and remove germs.

This was noted here
http://order-order.com/2009/06/25/clean-...

Can you confirm/deny the report?

If the report is true, can you explain the basis on which this was
considered necessary - particularly what infections have occurred
that were due to HoC staff not washing their hands properly, what
proportion of people in the House of Commons did not wash their
hands properly (whether leading to infection or not), and what
proportion of these people will react positively and (following the
introduction of the posters) will in future wash their hands
properly?

Yours faithfully,

Paul Perrin

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Perrin

Thank you for your request for information which is attached.

You may, if dissatisfied with the treatment of your request, ask the
House of Commons to conduct an internal review of this decision.
Requests for internal review should be addressed to: Freedom of
Information Officer, Department of Resources, House of Commons London
SW1 OAA or [House of Commons request email]. Please ensure that you specify the
nature of your complaint and any arguments or points that you wish to
make.

If you remain dissatisfied, you may appeal to the Information
Commissioner at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Bob Castle
Head of Information Rights and Information Security
Department of Resources

House of Commons
P Please consider the environment before printing

show quoted sections

Dear BREVITT, Brenda,

Thank you for your response, I am disappointed (as I am sure, are
you) that these signs have been put up with no logical reasoning
behind them.

Given the complete lack of justification for these signs even
existing, can you tell me the costs behind them - from the
person/persons who decided to issue them, through the
design/printing, through the planning for
distribution/installation, through the actual
distribution/installation etc...

Details of the individuals/departments/committees involved in each
and ever stage would also be of interest to me.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Perrin

I am next in the office on TUESDAY 28th JULY and will reply to emails from 9.00 am.

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Perrin,

Thank you for your request for information dated 28th July 2009,
received by us on the same day, and is copied below. I apologise for the
delay in acknowledging your request.

Following the recent publication of information about MP's expenses, we
are receiving unprecedented numbers of requests which, unfortunately,
has affected our ability to consistently meet the statutory targets for
a response. We are allocating additional resources to deal with this,
but in some cases our responses are taking longer than we would like or
would commit to normally.

Information relating to allowances for the period 2008/09 and 2009/10 is
currently being prepared for publication and will be available as soon
as possible.

We will endeavour to respond promptly to your request within 20 working
days i.e. on or before 25th August 2009.

If you have any queries about your request, please use the request
number quoted in the subject line of this email.

Yours,

Patrick Dawson

Data Protection and Freedom of Information Manager
Information Rights and Information Security (IRIS) service
Department of Resources
FOI
House of Commons
London

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RESPONSE to PAUL PERRIN
Paul Perrin mailto:[FOI #13744 email]

Dear Mr Perrin

Thank you for your further request for information about handwashing posters displayed at the House of Commons, which is copied below.

The poster to which you refer was put up as part of the contingency measures against swine flu, as recommended by the Department of Health. The decision to post it was taken during internal meetings to discuss these measures.

The poster was downloaded at no cost from the Department of Health web-site at:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/grou...

Copies were printed and, where necessary, laminated in house. They were distributed and posted by staff undertaking their normal duties. It is not possible to disaggregate costs in the way you ask. However, they were minimal and are estimated to be in the region of £54.

You may, if dissatisfied with the treatment of your request, ask the House of Commons to conduct an internal review of this decision. Requests for internal review should be addressed to: Freedom of Information Officer, Department of Resources, House of Commons London SW1 OAA or [House of Commons request email]. Please ensure that you specify the nature of your complaint and any arguments or points that you wish to make.

If you remain dissatisfied, you may appeal to the Information Commissioner at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Bob Castle
Head of Information Rights and Information Security Department of Resources House of Commons
P Please consider the environment before printing

From: Paul Perrin [mailto:[FOI #13744 email]]
Sent: 28 July 2009 00:26
To: Brenda Brevitt
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Hand washing instructions in HoC toilets.

Thank you for your response, I am disappointed (as I am sure, are you) that these signs have been put up with no logical reasoning behind them.

Given the complete lack of justification for these signs even existing, can you tell me the costs behind them - from the person/persons who decided to issue them, through the design/printing, through the planning for distribution/installation, through the actual distribution/installation etc...

Details of the individuals/departments/committees involved in each and every stage would also be of interest to me.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Perrin

show quoted sections