Percentage of FOI requests refused on cost grounds

Dear Mr Kloot,

Thank you for your two requests dated 27 June made via this website. This
reply covers both which asked for:-

. The percentage of Freedom Of Information Act requests that have
been denied by HMRC on the grounds of cost, and

. The percentage of Freedom of Information Act requests refused by
HMRC.

Under section 21 Freedom of Information Act 2000 information that is
reasonably available by other means is exempt form disclosure. The
Ministry of Justice publishes Central Govt Departments' performance on FOI
at this link
[1]http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/f...

Figures for 2008, which is the last year available, can be found here
[2]http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/d...
on pages 17 and 19.

If you are not happy with this reply you may request a review by writing
to HMRC FOI Team, Room 4/52, 100 Parliament Street London SWIA 2BQ or by
e-mail to [email address]. You must request a review within 2
months of the date of this letter. It would assist our review if you set
out which aspects of the reply concern you and why you are dissatisfied.

If you are not content with the outcome of an internal review, you may
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The
Information Commissioner will not usually consider a case unless you have
exhausted the internal review procedure provided by HMRC. He can be
contacted at The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely

John Sharpe

Governance & Security

HM Revenue & Customs

Room 4/52

100 Parliament Street

London

SW1A 2BG

Fax 020 7147 0666

[3][email address]

The information in this e-mail and any attachments is confidential and may
be subject to legal professional privilege. Unless you are the intended
recipient or his/her representative you are not authorised to, and must
not, read, copy, distribute, use or retain this message or any part of it.
If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender
immediately.

HM Revenue & Customs computer systems will be monitored and communications
carried on them recorded, to secure the effective operation of the system
and for lawful purposes.

The Commissioners for HM Revenue and Customs are not liable for any
personal views of the sender.

This e-mail may have been intercepted and its information altered.

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/f...
2. http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/d...
3. mailto:[email address]

Dear Mr Kloot,

Thank you for your two requests dated 27 June made via this website. This
reply covers both which asked for:-

. The percentage of Freedom Of Information Act requests that have
been denied by HMRC on the grounds of cost, and

. The percentage of Freedom of Information Act requests refused by
HMRC.

Under section 21 Freedom of Information Act 2000 information that is
reasonably available by other means is exempt form disclosure. The
Ministry of Justice publishes Central Govt Departments' performance on FOI
at this link
[1]http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/f...

Figures for 2008, which is the last year available, can be found here
[2]http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/d...
on pages 17 and 19.

If you are not happy with this reply you may request a review by writing
to HMRC FOI Team, Room 4/52, 100 Parliament Street London SWIA 2BQ or by
e-mail to [email address]. You must request a review within 2
months of the date of this letter. It would assist our review if you set
out which aspects of the reply concern you and why you are dissatisfied.

If you are not content with the outcome of an internal review, you may
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The
Information Commissioner will not usually consider a case unless you have
exhausted the internal review procedure provided by HMRC. He can be
contacted at The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely

John Sharpe

Governance & Security

HM Revenue & Customs

Room 4/52

100 Parliament Street

London

SW1A 2BG

Fax 020 7147 0666

[3][email address]

The information in this e-mail and any attachments is confidential and may
be subject to legal professional privilege. Unless you are the intended
recipient or his/her representative you are not authorised to, and must
not, read, copy, distribute, use or retain this message or any part of it.
If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender
immediately.

HM Revenue & Customs computer systems will be monitored and communications
carried on them recorded, to secure the effective operation of the system
and for lawful purposes.

The Commissioners for HM Revenue and Customs are not liable for any
personal views of the sender.

This e-mail may have been intercepted and its information altered.

show quoted sections

Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/f...
2. http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/d...
3. mailto:[email address]

1747/09 & 1748/09

Dear Mr Kloot

Thank you for your email of 4 July 2009 asking for an internal review of
HMRC's handling of your requests about:

The percentage of FOI requests refused on cost grounds, and

The percentage of Freedom of Information Act requests refused by
HMRC.

In your request for a review you say:

I require the figures I asked for, not a weblink to a pile of
documents that I have to wade through.

I have been asked to conduct the internal review.

Section 1 FOIA provides that when an applicant describes the information
they want a public authority is obliged, subject to other provisions of
the act, to say whether or not it holds that information and, if it
does, provide it subject to a range of exemptions.

The exemption in section 21 of the Act makes it clear that information
is exempt information if it is reasonably accessible to the applicant.
Public authorities are obliged to provide advice and assistance to
applicants on how to access the information.

In a reply dated 29 June 2009 HMRC provided you with the links to the
information you seek as well as giving you the pages numbers on which to
find it. I find that the request was dealt with within the statutory
timescale under the Act and that section 21 was correctly cited.

If you are not content with the outcome of this internal review, you may
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The
Information Commissioner will not usually consider a case unless you
have exhausted the internal review procedure provided by HMRC. He can be
contacted at The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Earing

show quoted sections