Time spent dealing with some specific FOI requests

Josh Walker made this Freedom of Information request to HM Revenue and Customs

The request was successful.

From: Josh Walker

3 June 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

I understand that there have been several FOI requests made to HMRC
recently, via the WhatDoTheyKnow website, regarding the laws
concerning the collection of tax. The reference numbers that you
have given these requests, the dates they were made, and their
titles are:

(1) 1269, 8 March 2009, "Income tax"

(2) 1394, 10 April 2009, "Proof that Non Foreign Humans are liable
to pay Income Tax"

(3) 1414, 16 April 2009, "Proof that Foreign Homo Sapiens must pay
income tax"

(4) 1453, 26 April 2009, "Definitions of Income for taxation
purposes"

(5) 1483, 2 May 2009, "Exchange of labour for compensation"

(6) 1640, 2 June 2009, "taxation request"

I would like to know how much time has been spent answering the
aforementioned requests. I am hoping that the computer systems that
you use to answer FOI requests can provide this statistic. If they
can, brilliant! If not, then don't worry.

In either case, so that I can make my own estimate of how much time
has been spent answering the aforementioned FOI requests, I would
like to request the original files in their original format, that
the following files were produced from:

(1) 1394_09 090507.pdf

(2) 1394_09_Internal review 090514.pdf

(3) 1394_09 Final 090521.pdf

(4) 1414 09 response.pdf

(5) 1453 Simpson reply.pdf

(6) 1483 09 Jennings.pdf

The 6 files listed above refer to the PDF attachments that HMRC
sent as replies to the aforementioned FOI requests.

By analyzing the PDF files listed above, I understand that they
have been produced from Microsoft Word files. In case you are not
aware, it is possible to take a Microsoft Word file and find out
the total time that has been spent editing that file.
Unfortunately, the PDF file that is generated from a Microsoft Word
file does not possess the "Total Editing Time" information. This is
why I am requesting the original files in their original format, so
that I may examine the "Total Editing Time" information and hence
produce my own estimate of how much time HMRC has spent answering
the aforementioned FOI requests.

Yours faithfully,

Josh Walker

Link to this

From: Chapman, Juliette (Governance Group, L&F)
HM Revenue and Customs

4 June 2009

Attachment Freedom of Information request Time spent dealing with some specific FOI requests.html
6K Download

Attachment FOI 1644 Josh Walker Acknowledgment Letter.doc
52K Download View as HTML

Message sent on behalf of Michael Armstrong

Kind Regards

Juliette Chapman/Lucy Howe
Freedom of Information Unit
04/53| 100 Parliament Street| London SW1A 2BQ

Tel: 0207 147 0732 | Fax: 0207 147 0666

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From: Sharpe, John (G&S)
HM Revenue and Customs

10 June 2009

Dear Mr Walker,

Thank you for your request in which you wanted to know the amount of time
HMRC spent answering the following FOI requests which appear on the
`whatdothey know' website:-

(1) 1269, 8 March 2009, "Income tax"

(2) 1394, 10 April 2009, "Proof that Non Foreign Humans are liable to pay
Income Tax"

(3) 1414, 16 April 2009, "Proof that Foreign Homo Sapiens must pay income
tax"

(4) 1453, 26 April 2009, "Definitions of Income for taxation purposes"

(5) 1483, 2 May 2009, "Exchange of labour for compensation"

(6) 1640, 2 June 2009, "taxation request"

HMRC does not hold this information because we do not record time spent
answering requests. And, as all of these were easily answerable within
the time limit (24 hours work for one person) arising from the fees
regulations, we did not need to estimate the time spent to locate and
extract the information so I am not able to provide that in order to meet
part of your request.

You also suggested that, if we did not record the time, we could provide
information from the word documents from which the pdf files were
created. I do not agree that there is any correlation between editing
time and the time spent on a reply because, for example:-

. If a document is open while the author is engaged on other matters
the editing time will be overstated,

. If the document consisted of text cut and pasted from working
drafts the recorded time will be understated,

. Neither of the above take account of reading and research
undertaken before drafting commenced.

With those caveats in mind this is the information you want:-

Ref Created Last Modified Editing Time
1394_09 090507.pdf

13:49 on 7 May 2009 13:49 on 7 May 2009 7 mins
1394_09_Internal review 090514.pdf

14:29 on 14 May 2009 14:33 on 14 May 2009 4 mins
(3) 1394_09 Final 090521.pdf

10:56 on 21 May 2009 10:56 on 21 May 2009 6 mins
(4) 1414 09 response.pdf

15:20 on 30 April 2009 15:20 on 30 April 2009 0 Mins
5) 1453 Simpson reply.pdf

14:14 on 7 May 2009 14:21 on 7 May 2009 9 Mins
(6) 1483 09 Jennings.pdf

8:29 on 14 May 2009 9:26 on 14 May 2009 57 Mins

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 [1][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

John Sharpe

Governance & Security

HM Revenue & Customs

Room 4/52

100 Parliament Street

London

SW1A 2BG

Fax 020 7147 0666

[2][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

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From: Sharpe, John (G&S)
HM Revenue and Customs

10 June 2009

Attachment 1644 09 table.pdf
14K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Walker,

I see that the way my earlier reply appears on the website loses what was
a table; that makes it difficult to read. I am therefore re-attaching the
table to this e-mail.

<<1644 09 table.pdf>>

Regards

John Sharpe

Governance & Security

HM Revenue & Customs

Room 4/52

100 Parliament Street

London

SW1A 2BG

Fax 020 7147 0666

[1][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

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