Request for information regarding the Freedom of Information Act

Link: [1]themeData
Link: [2]colorSchemeMapping

Dear Mr Walker

Thank you for your request for information, relating to information on
number of FOI requests (from 2000 to date, number, cost, those relating to
media organisations).

In accordance with provisions within the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
the council will respond to your request within 20 working days saying

whether we have the information that you want, and if there will be any
charges.

If for any reason we cannot provide you with the information we will tell
you why. If we need to clarify your request, we will contact you again.

In the meantime, if you need to contact me about your enquiry please do so
quoting the above reference number using the contact details below.

(On behalf of ) Nailah Ukaidi

Principal Performance Officer ( Information & Records )

Customer Focus & Intelligence (FoI, DPA & EIR)

Corporate Performance Management

Walsall Council

The Civic Centre

Darwall Street

Walsall

WS1 1TP

Tel: 01922 653585

Fax: 01922 614210

"The information in this message must be regarded as confidential and is
intended for the addressee only unless explicitly stated. If you have
received this message in error it must be deleted and the sender notified.
The views expressed in this message are personal and not necessarily those
of Walsall Council unless explicitly stated. Please be aware that emails
sent to or received from Walsall Council may be intercepted and read by
the council to ensure compliance with council policies or regulatory
obligations, or for the purposes of essential maintenance or support of
the email system. You should also be aware that any email may be subject
of a request under Data Protection, Freedom of Information or
Environmental Information legislation and therefore could be disclosed to
third parties".

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/~~themedata~~
2. file:///tmp/~~colorschememapping~~

Dear Mr Walker,

Further to your request for information under the Freedom of Information
Act (FOI) relating to applications made under the FOI Act, I can tell you
the following:

The FOI Act although dated 2000 actually came into force for public bodies
in January 2005, therefore the council only holds information from 2005 to
date. Furthermore given the start date of the Act Walsall Council
currently holds figures for the calendar year 2005, and then the 15 month
period from January 2006 to March 2007. From April 2007 to date, records
are held according to financial years.

The information you have requested up to March 2008 is largely available
via the council website in the form of published annual reports, however
for ease of reference I have included it in the table attached.

NB. The figures provided between January 2005 and March 2008 relate to
requests made under the FOI Act and Environmental Information Regulations,
however for the most recent year, information has been provided for FOI
only as requested.

With regard to the cost of producing responses to these requests, we are
unable to provide the information as this information is not held
centrally, or on a case by case basis, by the council. You will
appreciate that the council's costs will include the costs associated with
the coordination of requests, including the salaries and on-costs of the
three posts (2 FTE) whose role includes coordination of matters relating
to FOI, EIR and DPA. However, those posts also deal with other aspects of
information governance, including the development of procedures, and
training and awareness raising, and may find that they are dealing with
several requests at a single point in time. However, in addition, most
requests will also involve dialogue with the council service, or services,
concerned, and may involve that service spending time collating
information relating to a request. Particular requests may also require
the involvement of Legal Services, or Finance.

You are also advised that the figures relating to numbers of requests from
the media are based upon those which are explicitly from media
organisations, and identifiable as such by council officers from their
address, or e-mail address. However, it is the case that a number of
requests are made to the council by -email, giving only a name and e-mail
provider (for instance [1][email address]). It may be that some
of these are also from journalists, local or national, but clearly, for
these, we cannot provide a precise number.

Most of the information that we provide in response to Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004
requests will be subject to copyright protection. In most cases the
copyright will be owned by Walsall Council. The copyright in respect of
other information may be owned by another person or organisation, as
indicated.

You are free to use any information supplied to you in response to this
request for your own non-commercial research or private study purposes.
The information may also be used for any other purpose allowed by a
limitation or exception in copyright law, such as news reporting.
However, any other type of re-use, for example by publishing the
information in analogue or digital form, including on the internet, will
require the permission of the copyright owner.

I hope that the information provided is useful to you. However, if you are
dissatisfied, you should set out in writing your grounds for complaint and
send to: Complaints Section, Corporate Performance Management (FOI), Civic
Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall WS1 1TP.

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for a decision.
Please remember that, generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you
have first exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the council. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9
5AF.

Yours sincerely

Nailah Ukaidi

Principal Performance Officer ( Information & Records )

Customer Focus & Intelligence (FoI, DPA & EIR)

Corporate Performance Management

Walsall Council

The Civic Centre

Darwall Street

Walsall

WS1 1TP

Tel: 01922 653585

Fax: 01922 614210

[2]cid:image001.jpg@01C859E8.D31C9690

"The information in this message must be regarded as confidential and is
intended for the addressee only unless explicitly stated. If you have
received this message in error it must be deleted and the sender notified.
The views expressed in this message are personal and not necessarily those
of Walsall Council unless explicitly stated. Please be aware that emails
sent to or received from Walsall Council may be intercepted and read by
the council to ensure compliance with council policies or regulatory
obligations, or for the purposes of essential maintenance or support of
the email system. You should also be aware that any email may be subject
of a request under Data Protection, Freedom of Information or
Environmental Information legislation and therefore could be disclosed to
third parties".

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

Dear Mr Walker,

further to your e-mail of 14^th may 2009, please see attached amended
information in response to your request.

Yours sincerely

Nailah Ukaidi

Principal Performance Officer ( Information & Records )

Customer Focus & Intelligence (FoI, DPA & EIR)

Corporate Performance Management

Walsall Council

The Civic Centre

Darwall Street

Walsall

WS1 1TP

Tel: 01922 653585

Fax: 01922 614210

[1]cid:image001.jpg@01C859E8.D31C9690

"The information in this message must be regarded as confidential and is
intended for the addressee only unless explicitly stated. If you have
received this message in error it must be deleted and the sender notified.
The views expressed in this message are personal and not necessarily those
of Walsall Council unless explicitly stated. Please be aware that emails
sent to or received from Walsall Council may be intercepted and read by
the council to ensure compliance with council policies or regulatory
obligations, or for the purposes of essential maintenance or support of
the email system. You should also be aware that any email may be subject
of a request under Data Protection, Freedom of Information or
Environmental Information legislation and therefore could be disclosed to
third parties".

References

Visible links