EIR Fees
Dear Argyll and Bute Council,
Since the charging policy for environmental information requests (EIR)s was brought in, please share the following data, broken down by year:
The number of EIRs received
The number of EIRs responded to after the fee was paid
The total amount of fees received in each year.
Please provide details of the council’s EIR charging policy, or provide a link if it is publicly available.
This should include the cost/time threshold for which fees are charged (e.g. No fees charged where information costs £100 or less to provide) and how the costs are calculated.
Yours faithfully,
Jamie Mann
Thank you for your email to Argyll and Bute Council in relation to Freedom
of Information Requests. We will endeavour to respond to your email as
soon as possible. Please note that the Council is closed for the festive
period from 5pm on Friday 23^rd December, to 9am on Wednesday
4^th January. Any new requests received within this period will be taken
forward from 4^th January.
Many Thanks
FOI team
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Dear Jamie Mann
Request for information: Freedom of Information request - EIR Fees
Thank you for your information request which we have logged as reference
argyllbuteir:15191.
It has been passed to the relevant service(s) for attention and you should
receive a response under either the Freedom of Information (Scot) Act 2002
or the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 by 2023-02-02
00:00:00. We hope to respond within this timescale but, due to the
staffing/capacity issues with COVID-19, some requests may take little
longer.
Please quote the reference number above in any correspondence you may have
with the Council in regard to this request.
Regards
FOI Officer
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relation to this request will be used only for the intended purpose -
please read the full privacy notice to find out more about how your
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Classification: OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Mann
Request for information: Freedom of Information request - EIR Fees
Reference: argyllbuteir:15191.
I refer to your request for information which was dealt with in terms of
the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).
The number of EIRs received?
Year Number
of
EIR's
2011 12
2012 18
2013 36
2014 20
2015 28
2016 117
2017 142
2018 165
2019 369
2020 275
2021 356
2022 378
2023 12
to
date
Total 1928
The number of EIRs responded to after the fee was paid? None as at present
we do not have a specific EIR charging policy.
The total amount of fees received in each year? None
Please provide details of the council’s EIR charging policy, or provide a
link if it is publicly available? I have to advise that the information
you requested is information not held by the Council and as such I must
refuse your request in terms of Section 17 of FOISA.
However, in line with the duty placed on the Council in terms of Section
15 of FOISA, I can advise at present we do not have a specific EIR
charging policy and as a Council we prefer to work with the requester to
ensure they get the information they have requested either by providing
the information we have available or by providing advice and assistance in
refining the requests to avoid charging.
If you are dissatisfied with the way in which your request for information
has been dealt with you are entitled to request a review by writing to the
Executive Director Customer Services, Argyll and Bute Council, Kilmory,
Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8RT, or by email to [Argyll and Bute Council request email].
Your request for review must state your name and address for
correspondence, specify the request for information to which your request
for review relates and why you are dissatisfied with the response.
You must make your request for review not later than 40 working days after
the expiry of the 20 working day period for response to your initial
request by the Council, or not later than 40 working days after the
receipt by you of the information provided, any fees notice issued or any
notification of refusal or partial refusal.
If you make an application for review and remain dissatisfied with the way
in which the review has been dealt with you are entitled to make an
application to the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9DS (Tel: 01334 464610) for a
further review. You can now do this online here -
www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal.
You must make representation to the Scottish Information Commissioner no
later than 6 months after the date of receipt by you of the notice or
decision you are dissatisfied with or within 6 months of the expiry of the
period of 20 working days from receipt by the Council of your request for
review.
Yours sincerely,
David Sinclair
Compliance and Regulatory Assistant
Legal and Regulatory Services
01546 604352
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