Winter preparedness plans

Dear Mr Whitehouse

Thank you for your request for information below, I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Unfortunately before the University of Birmingham is able to process with your request for information it requires clarification of the information which you are requesting.

Please could you confirm what you mean by the term "winter preparedness", would this include plans for gritting and clearing snow? Do you consider that any other information would meet this part of your request?

Under The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 Public Authorities are allowed to issue a fees notice if they estimate that it will take more than 18 hours in determining whether the University of Birmingham holds the information and locating, retrieving and extracting that information.

The University of Birmingham has 28 Principle Academic Units (PAUs) situated within 5 Colleges and Corporate Services which is made up of several departments including Estates, Finance and Human Resources. It is highly likely that the information you are seeking will be held within only one, or a small number, of these units and departments. These PAUs and individual departments will need to be circulated with your request to establish whether they hold information which meets the criteria of your request.

I have discussed your request with colleagues and they have indicated that it will take in excess of 18 hours to locate, extract and retreive the information which you are requesting. You may therefore wish to revise and limit the scope of your request.

Under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act the University is not obliged to comply with a request if it estimates that it will take more than 18 hours to comply with a request.

If you have any queries about this email, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Yours sincerely

FOIA Officer
The University of Birmingham

The Contents of this email may be priviledged and are confidential. It may not be disclosed to or used by anyone other than the addressee, nor copied in any way. If received in error please notify the sender and then delete it from your system. Should you communicate with me by email, you consent to The University of Birmingham monitoring and reading any such correspondence.

________________________________

From: Ben Whitehouse [mailto:[FOI #17632 email]]
Sent: Fri 04/09/2009 09:41
To: FOI requests at University of Birmingham
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Winter preparedness plans

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to request information about your winter preparedness
plans for the forthcoming semester. It's been widely reported
regarding people's concerns around hygiene & how this relates to
"swine flu".

I would like to know:

1. What winter preparedness and Swine Flu contingency plans you
have in place?

2. How any decision to close or quarantine the university will be
made and the processes in place to support the person who makes
that decision?

3. What information will be made available to new and returning
students as they arrive this year? For example "How to recognise
the difference between Fresher's Flu and Swine Flu?" Also the costs
relating to the production of this information. Any examples of the
information (posters, leaflets etc) would be useful to be included
in your response.

4. How will you be working with your student union regarding the
dissemination of this information? What plans does the Student
Union have regarding the swine flu pandemic?

5. How many students you estimate will be affected by the swine flu
pandemic?

6. All progress/status reports and emails sent relating to the
preparations of these materials, information and plans.

My preferred format to receive this information is by electronic
means. If one part of this request can be answered sooner than
others, please send that information first followed by any
subsequent data. If you need any clarification of this request
please feel free to email me. If FOI requests of a similar nature
have already been asked could you please include your responses to
those requests.

I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have
received this request, and I look forward to hearing from you
within the 20-working day statutory time period.

Yours faithfully,

Ben Whitehouse

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Dear Mr Whitehouse

Please find attached the University of Birmingham's response to your recent enquiry, if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Information Compliance Manager
Legal Services
The University of Birmingham

The Contents of this email may be priviledged and are confidential. It may not be disclosed to or used by anyone other than the addressee, nor copied in any way. If received in error please notify the sender and then delete it from your system. Should you communicate with me by email, you consent to The University of Birmingham monitoring and reading any such correspondence.