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Register of gifts and hospitality
James Brown made this Freedom of Information request to University of Salford
The request was refused by University of Salford.
From: James Brown
5 December 2009
Dear University of Salford,
Please provide a copy of your current Register of gifts and
hospitality provided to senior personnel.
The disclosure of this information has already been tested in the
Information Commissioner's Office. In fact the publication of a
register of gifts and hospitality provided to senior personnel
should be part of your organisation's publication scheme and I am
curious to know why I even have to file an FOI request for it as it
ought to be automatically disclosed.
Please see:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/free...
If possible, please provide details for 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Please also supply your policy/guidance/code of conduct on offers
of gifts and hospitality received.
Yours faithfully,
James Brown
From: James Brown
18 January 2010
Dear University of Salford,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of University of
Salford's handling of my FOI request 'Register of gifts and
hospitality'. I am dissatisfied with your handling of it.
The statutory 20 working days has now passed. The normal 20 working
day limit can be extended under section 10(3) if a qualified
exemption is engaged and additional time is required to consider
the public interest. In order to extend the deadline in accordance
with section 10(3) the authority must inform the applicant of this
fact within the 20 working day deadline and provide him/her with a
revised response deadline “that is reasonable in the
circumstances”. I have not been informed of the need for any
extension.
I believe that section 10(1) of the FOI Act has been breached,
given that no letter was sent extending the deadline under Section
10(3).
I was pleased to note that Mr Shannon has already contacted the
Information Commissioner's Office to complain about your flagrant
disregard for the law. I expect your substantive reply to my FOI
request promptly, otherwise I too shall be contacting the
Information Commissioner to complain about the University of
Salford.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/re...
Yours faithfully,
James Brown
From: Foi
University of Salford
2 February 2010
Dear Mr Brown,
I apologise for the delay in responding. I write in response to your
request for information made to the University of Salford under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 via www.whatdotheyknow.com. This
request will not be processed because it, along with a number of other
requests, is being treated as vexatious under section 14(1) of the Act.
Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice.
You have the right to complain against the handling of your requests. If
you wish to complain, please set out in writing your ground(s) of
complaint and send to Matthew Stephenson, Head of Information
Governance, at the address below.
Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner
at the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 01625 545 700, website
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Matthew Stephenson
Head of Information Governance
Governance Services
University of Salford
Clifford Whitworth Building
Salford
M5 4WT
show quoted sections
From: James Brown
2 February 2010
Dear University of Salford,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.
I am writing again to request an internal review of University of
Salford's handling of my FOI request 'Register of gifts and
hospitality'.
I am dissatisfied by your response.
It appears that you have not yet undertaken an internal review. You
have refused my request as vexatious under section 14(1) of the
Act.
I put it to you that it is the University of Salford's flagrant
disregard for the Act that is vexatious.
I believe that the University of Salford is in breach of at least
the following sections of the Act:
1: General right of access to information held by public
authorities
10: Time for compliance with request
14: Vexatious or repeated requests
16: Duty to provide advice and assistance
17: Refusal of request
19: Publication schemes
20: Model publication schemes
Requests for information that should be published under your
publication scheme should not be considered as vexatious. This has
already been tested in the Information Commissioner's Office.
Please see:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/l...
"Some types of requests should not be considered as vexatious.
Examples include:
• Requests for information that should be published under your
publication scheme – you will need to provide this information, or
direct the requester to where it is available (eg your website)."
Your response stands in stark contrast to that of the University of
Glasgow to a very similar request (please see
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/re...)
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/re...
I expect your substantive reply promptly, together with the
information that I have requested.
Yours faithfully,
James Brown
From: Foi
University of Salford
7 April 2010
Dear Sir,
As per your request, the University of Salford has conducted an internal
review of its decision relating to your request for information made
under the Freedom of Information.
I apologise for the delay in responding. The review was of a large
number of individual requests which contributed to this delay.
The outcome of the review was to uphold the original decision. The
request is considered, along with a number of other requests, to be
vexatious as specified under section 14(1) of the Freedom of Information
Act and so your request will not be processed.
Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of section 17 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice.
You have the right to complain against the handling of your request.
You may do so to the Information Commissioner's Office whose address is:
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 01625
545 700, website www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Yours faithfully
Matthew Stephenson
Head of Information Governance
Governance Services
University of Salford
Clifford Whitworth Building
Salford
M5 4WT
T: 0161 295 6856
F: 0161 295 6339
[email address]
www.infogov.salford.ac.uk
show quoted sections
From: Foi
University of Salford
7 April 2010
Dear Sir/Madam ,
As per your request, the University of Salford has conducted an internal
review of its decision relating to your request for information made
under the Freedom of Information.
I apologise for the delay in responding. The review was of a large
number of individual requests which contributed to this delay.
I acknowledge that the response to your request was not provided within
20 working days and was therefore in breach of section 10 of the Freedom
of Information Act. It is our policy and intention to act within the
law and to respond within 20 working days although on occasion this
proves very difficult. Please accept my apologies for the delay in
responding to your request.
The outcome of the review was to uphold the original decision. The
request is considered, along with a number of other requests, to be
vexatious as specified under section 14(1) of the Act and so your
request will not be processed.
Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of section 17 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice.
You have the right to complain against the handling of your request.
You may do so to the Information Commissioner's Office whose address is:
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 01625
545 700, website www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Yours faithfully
Matthew Stephenson
Head of Information Governance
Governance Services
University of Salford
Clifford Whitworth Building
Salford
M5 4WT
T: 0161 295 6856
F: 0161 295 6339
[email address]
www.infogov.salford.ac.uk
show quoted sections
W Adams left an annotation (21 October 2011)
See http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/re...
The University of Salford finally admitted in late 2011 that "There are no extant records for the period requested" and that a "system for the recording of gifts was launched in 2010".
I wonder if it's a coincidence that they introduced this only when people started to publicly query various aspects of this institution's approach to compliance and financial regulation?
They could have saved a lot of trouble if they had simply admitted this in the first place instead of hiding behind their "vexatious" response.
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
James Brown left an annotation ( 8 April 2010)
Link to this