Freedom of Information Team
1 Horse Guards
Telephone: 020 7276 2294
Knowledge and Information Management Unit
Road
E-mail: xxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xx
Cabinet Office
London
Web: www.cabinet-office.gov.uk
SW1A 2HQ
John Cross
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
FOI Reference:FOI316661
6 July 2012
Dear John Cross ,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS
I refer to your request where you asked:
In your last email you wrote "One way of refining your request
would be too focus on one of the four types of honours you have
listed in your request."
Please could you therefore restrict your search to civic honours.
I very much regret to inform you that the Cabinet Office is still unable to comply with
your request under section 12, as the request is still too broad. As outlined in the
previous response section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act relieves public
authorities of the duty to comply with a request for information if the cost of dealing
with it would exceed the appropriate limit. The appropriate limit has been specified in
regulations and for central Government this is set at £600. This represents the
estimated cost of one person spending 3½ working days in determining whether the
Department holds the information, and locating, retrieving and extracting it.
The reason your refined request exceeds the cost limits is that the term ‘civic
honours’ relates to a substantial amount of information we hold, as it could be
interpreted as meaning the PM’s list and Gallantry medals, The Queens’ Award for
Voluntary Service or the Big Society. I can therefore advise that if you were to focus
your request on one of the three honours mentioned above we will be able to deal
with your request. Confining your request to specific time periods or other sub-
classifications might also help.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to
quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request or
wish to request an internal review, you should write to:
Roger Smethurst
Head of Knowledge and Information Management
Cabinet Office
1 Horse Guards Road
London
SW1A 2HQ
email
: xxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xx
You should note that the Cabinet Office will not normally accept an application for
internal review if it is received more than two months after the date that the reply was
issued.
If you are not content with the outcome of your internal review, you may apply directly
to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the Commissioner cannot
make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by
Cabinet Office. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
The Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Cabinet Office