Brexit impact assessments: reading room

The request was partially successful.

Dear Exiters

A letter to all MPs and Peers from Robin Walker MP, dated 4 December, states that the reading room which has been set up for viewing of the Brexit impact assessments is “in keeping with the arrangements for previous reading rooms”.

Please provide me with an electronic copy of all information you hold regarding the provision of previous reading rooms.

Best wishes
Gabriel

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

Dear Gabriel Webber,
Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX000924. We will now respond
in line with the Freedom of Information Act.
Kind regards, 
DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

2 Attachments

Dear Gabriel Webber,

Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX000924. Please find our
attached response.

Kind regards,

DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

Thank you for your response. Please could you provide (as a fresh request if needs be) the redacted text from the 'Annex A' document you supplied - or else provide a section 17 refusal notice.

Yours sincerely,
G Webber

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

Dear Gabriel Webber,

Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX000993. We will now respond
in line with the Freedom of Information Act.

Kind regards,

DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

1 Attachment

Dear Gabriel Webber,

Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX000993. Please find our
attached response.

Kind regards,

DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

Please conduct an internal review of your failure to disclose the information I requested.

The refusal notice states that my request, for the remainder of a document released in response to a previous request (ie including those aspects you considered 'out of scope') was "random". You also said: "We find that a variety of information types/topics could be covered in any one document."

There are two fundamental flaws with your approach:
1. Just because a variety of information topics *could* be covered in any one document does not mean that they are. In this case, the document you provided was two pages long and had one title ("Reading room advice") which clearly relates to the subject matter of my first request (which was about precedent regarding the provision of reading rooms). My request for the remainder of this document was not in any way random or a fishing expedition.
2. The ICO lists a wide variety of factors which you should take into account when considering a section 14 refusal; you apparently only considered one of them. You did not consider the fact that the document I requested relates to a matter of public interest; that it would not be remotely burdensome for you to provide it, given that it is only two pages long and easily accessible to you; that my requests have been worded clearly and politely; and that I am not a frequent requester and am not unreasonably persistent.

I look forward to hearing back from you positively within 20 working days, failing which I will have to appeal this to the ICO which will be a sad waste of everyone's time.

Yours sincerely,
G Webber

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

Dear Gabriel Webber, 
This email confirms that we have received your internal review request on
FOI DEX000993. The Department will now conduct an internal review and will
contact you once this has been concluded.
Kind regards, 
DExEU FOI team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

This is a bit awkward... I asked for an internal review on 22 January so really you should have completed it by yesterday, ie within 20 working days. That's what the Information Commissioner expects of public authorities.

So here's what I think we should do: you complete your review by close of play on Wednesday, and we'll say no more about it.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

I have referred your failure to conduct an internal review within 20 working days to the ICO.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

You are now a week late with your internal review. Please can you clarify the situation.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

You are now two weeks late with your internal review. What is happening please?

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

You are now a three-and-a-half weeks late with your internal review. Please can you clarify the situation.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

Dear Gabriel Webber
The length of time required for an internal review is not set out in
legislation. As such, we will provide you with a response in due course
having assessed the handling of the case in question. Thank you for your
patience.
Kind regards
Nick Short (Head of FOI DExEU)

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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Dear Nick,

As you are aware, the ICO has published guidance stating that an internal review should take no more than 20 working says.

In this particular case, they wrote to you on 2 March under reference FS50728014 directing you to complete your delayed internal review and provide me with the result within 20 working days of that letter, failing which they will issue a legally binding decision notice. If I were a civil servant I’d be embarrassed if I had to be publicly ticked off by a regulator in such a way, but the choice is yours.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

You are now four weeks late with your internal review.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

You are now five-and-a-half weeks late with your internal review response.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

You are now six weeks late with your internal review and on the verge of enforcement action by the ICO.

Just a gentle reminder.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

Just a reminder that you have about an hour left before the ICO’s deadline expires?

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

Re: FOI DEX000993

This is a reminder that the conclusions of your internal review was due seven weeks ago.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

Dear Gabriel Webber, 
Further to our emails on 22 January and 15 March acknowledging your
internal review, I can confirm that we are still reviewing your case and
are not yet ready to respond. We are also aware that we have not complied
with the ICO's guidance on the handling of this internal review.
However, we aim to conclude this internal review within the next two
weeks.
We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for the delay in this
case.
Kind regards, 
DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

Thank you for your much-belated email of 20 April confirming that you would complete this internal review and inform me of the result within two weeks.

Accordingly, I look forward to receiving your response tomorrow, Friday 4 April.

Yours sincerely,
G Webber

Dear Nick Short,

I’m really confused: your email of 20 April confirmed that you would complete this internal review and inform me of the result within two weeks. A letter from your Minister to my MP reiterated this. 20 April was two weeks ago so I would have expected to hear from you by today - which is, incidentally, over 10 weeks late anyway.

Please can you urgently clarify before I refer this matter back to your Minister.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

I need an update with this soonest.

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

3 Attachments

DEX000993
Please see attached response to your request for an internal review.
regards

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

Thank you for concluding your internal review and accepting that you were wrong to have applied section 14 to my request.

Because I am fascinated as to how your Department could have spent 15 weeks on reviewing the case, however, it would be helpful if you could (as a fresh FOI request) disclose to me all recorded information your department holds regarding the processing of request/ internal review reference DEX000993 dated between 22 January and 10 May 2018.

To the extent that any of the recorded information in scope comprises my own personal data, you are welcome to treat this email as a subject access request under the Data Protection Act for that component of the recorded information. This approach conforms with guidance from the Information Commissioner: https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio... at paras 19-25.

Yours sincerely,
G Webber

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

Dear G Webber,
Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX001212. We will now respond
in line with the Freedom of Information Act.
Kind regards, 
DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

1 Attachment

Dear G Webber,
Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX0001212. Please find our
attached extension.
Kind regards, 
DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

ok

Yours sincerely,

G Webber

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

2 Attachments

Dear G Webber,
Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX001212. Please find our
attached response.
Kind regards, 
DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

2 Attachments

Dear Gabriel Webber
Please see attached

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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