Senior management salaries

The request was refused by University of Manchester.

Dear University of Manchester,

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my query as specifically as possible.
I would like to know the yearly salary of the Vice Presidents, Vice President and Dean, Associate Vice President and how much that has increased since 2012, year-to-year.
I would be interested in any information held by your organization regarding my request. I understand that I do not have to specify files or documents and that it is the institution’s responsibility to provide the information I require. If you need further clarification, please contact me by email.
I would like to receive the information electronically.
If my request is denied in whole or in part, I ask that you justify this by reference to specific exemptions of the Act. I will also expect you to release all non-exempt material. I reserve the right to appeal your decision to withhold any information or to charge excessive fees.
I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing/by email that you have received this request. I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as outlined by the statute.

Yours faithfully,

David Roberts

MTRS FOIA, University of Manchester

1 Attachment

Dear David,

 

Thank you for your email requesting data relating to senior management
salaries.

 

We will forward details of your request to the relevant department within
the University of Manchester and will contact you again once we have
received a response.

 

With best regards

 

Information Governance Office | Directorate of Compliance and Risk
|Professional Support Services | G.06 Christies Building | The University
of Manchester | Oxford Road | Manchester | M13 9PL |
 [1]www.manchester.ac.uk

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We are all responsible for protecting person identifying data held by the
University, including who we share that data with. Stop and think before
you send your email.  For further guidance see:
[3]www.dataprotection.manchester.ac.uk

 

 

show quoted sections

MTRS FOIA, University of Manchester

2 Attachments

Dear David

 

I write in response to your recent Freedom of Information request which
was as follows:

 

I would like to know the yearly salary of the Vice Presidents, Vice
President and Dean, Associate Vice President and how much that has
increased since 2012, year-to-year.

I would be interested in any information held by your organization
regarding my request.

 

The University has now considered your request and unfortunately the
information you have requested cannot be provided at this time.

 

Refusal Notice

 

This Refusal Notice has been issued under Section 17 of the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) in respect of your request for information under
Section 1 (1) of the FOIA.  The University of Manchester confirms that the
information requested may be held but we are refusing to provide it in
response to your request as it is deemed to be exempt by virtue of the
listed exemption at Section 43 (2) – Commercial Interests.  Information
is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be
likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the
public authority holding it).

 

We may rely on this exemption if the disclosure would prejudice someone’s
commercial interests (including the University’s own).  Commercial
interests may be prejudiced where a disclosure would be likely to:

 

o Damage its business reputation or the confidence that customers,
suppliers or investors may have in it
o Have a detrimental impact on its commercial revenue or threaten its
ability to obtain supplies or secure finance
o Weaken its position in a competitive environment by revealing market
sensitive information or information of potential usefulness to its
competitors.

 

Section 43 (2) is a prejudice-based exemption and therefore we are
required to conduct a public interest test. Please see details of this
below.

 

Public Interest Test

 

Factors in Favour of Disclosure

There is public interest in disclosing the senior salary information
requested. To do so would ensure that members of the public would be
satisfied and confident that the University of Manchester spends public
appropriately. It may also contribute to wider debate regarding
appropriate salary levels that are in part derived from the public purse.

 

Factors Against Disclosure

The University of Manchester operates in an increasingly commercial
environment. Academic staff are important for the reputation of the
University and for our ability to attract both students and funding.
Disclosing salary information may leave the University liable to have
staff poached to positions in other establishments where a preferential
salary is offered. Disclosing salary information would therefore be likely
to prejudice the ability of the University to attract the best staff, as
their unwillingness to have their salary information disclosed would be
likely to exacerbate difficulties in the recruitment of staff, who may
take alternative positions where such information would not be liable to
be disclosed. In the case of EA/2014/0054, the First Tier Tribunal
decision between Kings College London and the Information Commissioner,
the Commissioner found this evidence sufficiently compelling at the
tribunal that he accepted that section 43(2) is engaged in relation to the
academic staff.

 

 

The University of Manchester has carefully considered the balance of
public interest in this instance and has concluded that for the reasons
outlined above, the balance lies in maintaining the exemption at this
time.

 

 

The University of Manchester Freedom of Information Act appeals procedure 

 

If you feel that The University of Manchester has refused access to
information to which you are entitled, or has not dealt with your request
appropriately under the FOIA, you have a right of appeal.

 

An appeal in the first instance should be directed to the Information
Governance Office, contact details below. You should include: 

 

·         details of your initial request

·         any other relevant information

 

The University will deal with your appeal within a reasonable time, and
will inform you of the projected time scale on receipt of your complaint.
You are also welcome to contact the Information Governance Office with
informal questions about the handling of your request. 

 

After The University’s internal appeals procedure has been exhausted, you
have a further right of appeal to the Information Commissioner’s
Office. Details of this procedure can be found at [1]www.ico.org.uk.

 

Kind regards

 

Sharon

 

Sharon Glen | Information Officer | Information Governance Office |
Directorate of Compliance and Risk |Professional Support Services | G6
Christie Building | The University of Manchester | Oxford Road |
Manchester | M13 9PL | Tel +44(0) 161 275 7869 | [2]www.manchester.ac.uk

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We are all responsible for protecting person identifying data held by the
University, including who we share that data with. Stop and think before
you send your email.  For further guidance see:
[5]www.dataprotection.manchester.ac.uk

 

Confidentiality and Legal Privilege: The contents of this email and its
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legally privileged. It may not be disclosed, copied, forwarded, used or
relied upon by any person other than the intended addressee. If you
believe that you have received the email and its attachment(s) in error,
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to anyone. Please respond to the sender and delete this email and its
attachment(s) from your system.

 

References

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Dear MTRS FOIA,

Thanks for this. You are the only one out of 150 to decline the request. I have now accessed the data form your public accounts

Yours sincerely,

David Roberts