Dear Sir

I confirm receipt of your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act and that we will respond within the statutory 20 working days

Regards

Helen Johnstone

Helen Johnstone
Head of Information Assurance/Manager – University Strategic Projects
University of Worcester
Henwick Grove
Worcester WR2 6AJ

Tel: 01905 855014
https://www.worcester.ac.uk/informationa...

Dear Mr Taylor

Further to your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act the University confirms that it does not hold the requested meeting records or internal communications, with the exception of one internal email from a member of academic staff prior to the date of your request.

The email in question is exempt from disclosure on the following grounds:

Personal Data

The email contains personal data which is absolutely exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, 40 (3)(a)(i). Disclosure in response to a Freedom of Information request is disclosure to the world at large. When the member of staff sent the email setting his/her views on the Vice Chancellor's response to Mr Heaton-Harris's letter to the Vice Chancellor, he/she had no reasonable expectation that those views and other personal data contained in that email would be put into the public domain. Those views were an expression of personal support for the Vice Chancellor and I am aware of no overriding public interest warranting disclosure. In addition, given the splenetic, abusive and menacing correspondence sent to the Vice Chancellor from a member of the public following his criticism of Mr Heaton-Harris's letter, putting the staff member's email into the public domain would cause that staff member real distress and would be wholly unwarranted. In the circumstances the disclosure would be unfair and unjustified.

Prejudice to the conduct of public affairs

The email is exempt on the grounds that in the Vice Chancellor's opinion, disclosure would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs (Freedom of Information Act 2000 s36(2)(c)). The effectiveness of the University depends in no small part on the willingness of staff to engage with colleagues and in particular with senior staff. That includes maintaining open communication with the Vice Chancellor. Staff must feel free to correspond with the Vice Chancellor to express their views on a diverse range of matters that are of relevant to the University, including threats to academic freedom, which is of profound significance and the cornerstone of any academic institution. They must do so without unnecessary inhibition. Putting such correspondence into the public domain would have an inhibiting effect and would as a consequence deter staff from engaging in open and candid communication with the Vice Chancellor in future, in particular in relation to the important matter of academic freedom in the context of the Brexit debate, to the detriment of the University. Given the vituperation generated by the issue of Brexit, it is extremely important that staff are not unwittingly exposed to it by publishing their personal correspondence to the Vice Chancellor.

I have considered the public interest and concluded that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure. There is a clear overriding public interest in protecting staff from abuse and to ensure that there is no unreasonable impediments to the free flow of correspondence from staff to the Vice Chancellor.

I am obliged, under the Freedom of Information Act, to inform you of our complaints procedures in case you are unhappy about the way in which your request has been dealt with.
If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled, you can request a review by writing to the University Counsel, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester WR2 6AJ
If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Telephone: 0303 123 1113 – www.ico.gov.uk

Regards

Helen Johnstone

Helen Johnstone
Head of Information Assurance/Manager – University Strategic Projects
University of Worcester
Henwick Grove
Worcester WR2 6AJ

Tel: 01905 855014
https://www.worcester.ac.uk/informationa...

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