Key points to remember when responding to a FOI request
• Does the Data Management Office know about a request? If not, tell us immediately!
• Read
the
full request carefully and promptly.
• If any part of the request is unclear you can seek clarification from the applicant.
However this must be done
promptly and you should explain as clearly as possible what
you require from the applicant to enable you to respond to their request. This suspends
the 20 working day timescale (for that part of the request, however other parts should still
be responded to within the 20 working days.)
• Address
ALL parts of the request in the response, quoting clearly any exemptions
claimed, how they apply to the information requested and, if relevant, an explanation of
the factors considered in the public interest test, along with the outcome.
• If you are unable to answer any part of the request but have other information readily
available which may be of interest/assistance to the applicant consider including this
information in the response.
• Use language and explanations appropriate for the applicant (bear in mind they are
unlikely to be as familiar with the subject matter as you.) All acronyms should be written
in full or explained in the covering letter/email.
• If a response contains information relating to an identifiable third party or received from
an external party it will usually be necessary to seek consent to disclose. This can be a
lengthy process and so needs to be considered asap in consultation with the DMO.
• A
full draft response must be sent to the Data Management Office at least
5 working
days before the response is due to the applicant.
What do I do if copies of documents have been requested?
• The FOI Act gives a right of access to
information not documents; however often it will
be easiest to provide photocopies of any documents, redacted as necessary, and if
specifically requested copies of documents should preferably be provided.
• Redact any information which is not asked for in the request eg if minutes of meetings
are requested in relation to a specific subject only provide the agenda items for that
subject and remove the others.
• Documents which are already in the public domain can be sent unredacted.
• If employees’ names appear in a document either consult with them to ensure they are
happy for their name to be included or remove the names and replace with post titles (or
initials of the organisation from which they belong if external).
ALL DRAFT RESPONSES MUST BE SENT TO THE DATA MANAGEMENT OFFICE 5
WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO BEING SENT OUT TO THE APPLICANT.
FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE DATA MATTERS PAGES AND DO NOT
HESITATE TO CONTACT THE DATA MANAGEMENT OFFICE AT
xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xx.xx
OR ON EXT 2526 or 8233
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