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FOI Requests Answered on 1st March - 3rd March 2017

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Dear Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland),

Please can you provide the request and response to the following FOI / EIR requests to the your department. The first date was the submission date, followed by your reference and then the response date.

(If it is easier just to provide the text of the request rather than scan documents and redact details please do so to reduce the time required)

I would also ask for an audit trail (including the time of each response if this was outside normal office hours) for each mentioned request to confirm when a response was created, when this was passed to the SpAd or Minister for sign off and would also request any communication from the SpAd or Minister in relation to the outcomes.

I would also ask for any communications in relation to FOI or EIRs by the Minister or the SpAd from 24th February 2017 until the 3rd March 2017.

08/01/17 DfE 2017-0018 01/03/2017
15/12/16 DfE 2017-0051 01/03/2017
09/12/16 DfE 2016-0153 02/03/2017
10/12/16 DfE 2016-0155 02/03/2017
11/12/16 DfE 2016-0156 02/03/2017
12/12/16 DfE 2016-0159 02/03/2017
12/12/16 DfE 2016-0160 02/03/2017
13/12/16 DfE 2016-0163 02/03/2017
13/12/16 DfE 2016-0164 02/03/2017
13/12/16 DfE 2016-0166 02/03/2017
13/12/16 DfE 2016-0168 02/03/2017
13/12/16 DfE 2016-0170 02/03/2017
14/12/16 DfE 2016-0171 02/03/2017
14/12/16 DfE 2016-0172 02/03/2017
20/12/16 DfE 2016-0185 02/03/2017
07/01/17 DfE 2017-0014 02/03/2017
09/01/17 DfE 2017-0019 02/03/2017
09/01/17 DfE 2017-0020 02/03/2017
17/01/17 DfE 2017-0031 02/03/2017
17/01/17 DfE 2017-0034 02/03/2017
24/01/17 DfE 2017-0039 02/03/2017
30/01/17 DfE 2017-0042 02/03/2017
02/01/17 DfE 2017-0006 03/03/2017

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The reason for this request is that specifically on 2nd March 2018 I see a substantial number of responses to FOI requests - in fact 30% of all FOI requests submitted to DfE since December were responded to on this day which was the day the Minister and the SpAd left office later that evening.

The ICO stated that the response on this day to one of my previous queries was not compliant with the regulations. It also is noted that on this specific day responses with withheld outcomes accounted for 66% of all withheld outcomes over a three month period. Also on this day outcomes with a positive result were substantially below the average with and without a Minister. Obviously this is dependant on the specific queries but I find it as has been publicly reported by journalists unusual.

Yours faithfully,

Gary Clarke

Dear Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland),

Just checking that this request has been received and is being processed as I did not receive an acknowledgement and the response is expected 18th April.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/f...

Yours faithfully,

Gary Clarke

DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

I can confirm we did receive your FOI request and apologise you did not
receive an acknowledgement, please see attached.

Regards,

Freedom of Information Team
Information Management Unit

Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached update to your recent request for information.

Regards,

Freedom of Information Team
Information Management Unit

Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

3 Attachments

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see response to your recent request, I have attached a response and
2 other annex's, please also be advised that I will forward you further
information in 11 different emails as this is too big to send in 1 email.

Regards,

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 1 of 11, further emails to follow.

 

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

[1][IMG]

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 2 of 11, further emails to follow.

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 5 of 11, further emails to follow.

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 3 of 11, further emails to follow.

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 4 of 11, further emails to follow.

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 6 of 11, further emails to follow.

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 7 of 11, further emails to follow.

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

3 Attachments

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 8 of 11, further emails to follow (emails 8 and 9
needed to be broke down further due to the size of them so there will be
more than 11 email now).

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

2 Attachments

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 8.2 of 11, further emails to follow (emails 8 and 9
needed to be broke down further due to the size of them so there will be
more than 11 email now).

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

2 Attachments

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 8.3 of 11, further emails to follow (emails 8 and 9
needed to be broke down further due to the size of them so there will be
more than 11 email now).

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 8.4 of 11, further emails to follow (emails 8 and 9
needed to be broke down further due to the size of them so there will be
more than 11 email now).

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 10 of 11, further emails to follow (emails 8 and 9
needed to be broke down further due to the size of them so there will be
more than 11 email now).

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

show quoted sections

DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Please see attached 11 of 11, further emails to follow (emails 8 and 9
needed to be broke down further due to the size of them so there will be
more than 11 email now).

Regards

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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Dear DfE FOI,

Many thanks for taking the time to compile this information.

I would like to request an internal review for this request only on the point of the refusal to provide communications from the Minister and or his SpAd in relation to these FOI EIR requests.

My dispute is that the Ministerial code of conduct has a duty to uphold the law - it can be seen from these logs that have been provided that for example in DfE 2016-0172 that the department created an acceptable response to this within 8 days. This was not approved for release until the last day of office - over 8 weeks later. From previous logs you have provided FOI requests were going to the Minister or his office on a regular basis for approval and many were approved. From the theme of the refusals that were approved on this day it may appear to the public the Minister did not want to be refusing information on the topic of RHI during the media storm associated with it. If the Minister was intentionally delaying responses to FOI or EIRs and not complying with the legislation he would therefore be in breach of his duty as a Minister and this would highly be in the public interest.

Additionally the FOI and EIR legislation does not state the process of how requests should be dealt with in terms of requiring Ministerial approval. The process can be carried out with no Ministerial interaction. It is a choice of the Minister to require Ministerial approval for FOI or EIRs - and as such the use of exemption S35(1)(d) based on the workings of the Ministerial Office would appear to many to be a further tool of frustration.

You stated that "communication from the Minister or SpAd is held" can you confirm separately if communication is held during the time period for;
- the Minister
- the SpAd
- the SpAd relating to RHI FOI / EIRs

Yours sincerely,

Gary Clarke

DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Gary Clarke,

Thank you for your request for an Internal Review, please see attached
acknowledgement.

Regards,

Information Management Unit
Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: www.economy-ni.gov.uk

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DfE FOI, Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Clarke

Please see attached response to your request for an Internal Review of DfE
2018-0043.

 

Regards

Freedom of Information Team

Information Management Unit

 

Department for the Economy
Netherleigh
Massey Avenue
Belfast, BT4 2JP
Web: [1]www.economy-ni.gov.uk

 

References

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1. http://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Gary Clarke please sign in and let everyone know.