Dear Department for Exiting the European Union,

Please would you supply me with copies, electronically if possible, of the impact studies into exiting the European Union.

Before making a decision, I would be grateful if you could give consideration to the following points:

1. If these reports contained information to suggest that leaving the European Union would have a positive effect on Britain, then releasing them would be in the public interest as it would bring greater economic confidence and most likely strengthen the value of the pound.

2. With that in mind, the fact that these reports are being withheld, confirms that they contain bad news. In some way they show that the impact of Brexit is going to be negative to Britain and/or its economy. That is simply logical deduction based on point 1 above.

3. Given points 1 and 2 above, any right-thinking member of society will already have concluded that leaving the European Union is going to be negative for Britain.

4. Mindful that, given point 3 above, the British public already know with some degree of certainty that the contents of these reports are bad news. Therefore, by releasing them you would only be telling us what we have already deduced.

5. With point 4 above in mind, it is obvious that the public interest defence for withholding these reports collapses. There can only be a public interest defence for withholding information if its release would in some way cause harm to society, and since we already know the broad strokes by deduction, the risk of such harm is minimal to non-existent.

6. Uncertainty is bad for business. Having some idea as to what the future post-EU holds would enable businesses and indeed individuals to plan for it. It is therefore in the public interest on these grounds that these reports be released.

7. There is a real possibility, given the current government's slender hold on power and the pressures being brought to bear by opposition parties, that Britain will be asked to vote on Brexit in a second referendum. On such a crucial issue, the British people must be fully and properly informed prior to voting, and therefore the release of these reports is in the public interest on these grounds also.

I trust that, having given due consideration to the above, which shows that there are two quite robust public interest arguments in favour of release and no substantial justification in the public interest to the contrary, you will reach the decision that the impact statements should enter the public domain.

Thank you for your time,

James Hardaker

Dear Department for Exiting the European Union,

On 27 November 2017 I made the following request to your department:

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

I have yet to receive a response.

Please could you let me know what is happening with my request?

Many thanks,

Jim Hardaker