7th Carbon Budget - Detailed Cost Estimates
Dear Committee on Climate Change,
I note that the capital and operating costs of the 7th Carbon Budget are expressed as the difference between the costs of the Balanced Pathway and a notional baseline level of spending. It is therefore not possible to work out the gross costs of either the pathway or the baseline. I would like to request that you please release the detailed spreadsheets showing the full cost build up of the capital and operating costs for both the Balanced Pathway and the baseline.
Yours faithfully,
David Turver
Dear David,
Please find attached our response to your request.
Kind regards,
Climate Change Committee
Dear Committee on Climate Change,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Committee on Climate Change's handling of my FOI request '7th Carbon Budget - Detailed Cost Estimates'.
I note that you have applied the Section 22 exemption in the belief that the information would be misunderstood by the public, but would draw your attention to the ICO's advice that you should provide the information in the appropriate context to prevent such misunderstanding, if possible. (https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...)
The information I requested can be no more complex that that already released, so I would argue that it is in the public interest to publish it, since so much of future energy policy depends upon it.
I also note that you have cited Section 22 of the FOI Act (plans for future publication), but have not indicated the date or required circumstances for publication. As you may be aware, the ICO suggests that this exemption may be applied when one of the following conditions apply:
1) there is a publication deadline; or
2) publication will take place once other actions have been completed; or
3) publication will take place by reference to other related events; or
4) there is a draft publication schedule that hasn’t been finalised.
I request that you review your response and, if the exemption is upheld, please confirm the conditions under which publication will occur.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/7...
Yours faithfully,
David Turver
Dear David,
We have reviewed the request and the response issued by the CCC using relevant guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office.
The ICO guidance states that information is exempt from disclosure under Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) if:
- The public authority holds the requested information
- The public authority intends the information to be published at some future date, whether that date is determined or not; and
- It is reasonable to withhold the information until its planned publication.
The CCC holds some of the information requested and the information held is intended to be published at a future date. The publication date is not determined at this point in time.
A public authority must consider whether it is reasonable, in all the circumstances, to withhold information until the date of publication. The internal review has considered the evidence provided and concluded that it was sensible and in line with accepted practices to do so. The review assessed the timetable to release the information proper and agreed that the timetable properly requires internal consideration of the information prior to its publication.
As Section 22 is a qualified exemption the arguments for and against disclosure of the information were considered. The public interest arguments in favour of maintaining the exemption were reviewed and agreed to relate specifically to Section 22 of the FOIA.
The ICO guidance note states that in most instances public authorities will not be able to argue that information is too technical, complex or misleading to disclose, or that it may be misunderstood or is incomplete, because they can explain it or set it into context. However, the review noted that the guidance also states that if the future publication plans include providing the necessary context and explanation this argument may be relevant. On the basis that the future publication plans include guidance and context to users the review concluded that it was appropriate to include this consideration in the public interest test.
The review considered the factors in favour of release and the factors in favour of withholding the information and agreed with the assessment that the factors in favour of withholding the information outweighed those in favour of disclosure.
Kind regards,
Climate Change Committee
Dear Committee on Climate Change,
I note your response to my request for internal review and I note that you have also published the Methodology Report for the 7th Carbon Budget and the data does not appear to be in there either.
I am not satisfied with this response and have asked that the ICO force disclosure of this vital data.
Yours faithfully,
David Turver
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