Evidence given to committees by seven opaque and deceptive policy groups

The request was refused by House of Commons.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please provide me with the following information:

(1) Please indicate the number of times individuals representing the following organisations gave evidence to House of Commons committees during the calendar year 2016, broken down by individual organisation and by committee, indicating in each case whether the evidence given was written and/or verbal, and providing in each case a hyperlink to the evidence that was submitted:
a) Policy Network
b) Policy Exchange
c) Institute of Economic Affairs
d) Civitas
e) Centre for Policy Studies
f) Adam Smith Institute
g) International Institute for Strategic Studies

(2) Please supply a list of disclosure forms (and/or functional equivalents) that individuals and/or groups submitting written and/or verbal evidence to committees must complete, and provide a link to these form(s) and/or functional equivalent(s).

Some background information relevant to this FOI request can be found here:

New House Rules Go After Think Tank Funding
http://www.thinktankwatch.com/2015/01/ne...

Transparify report on UK Think Tanks 2017: Transparency, Lobbying and Fake News
http://bit.ly/2kpfE9x

Thank you for your time, best wishes,

Till Bruckner

FOI Commons, House of Commons

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Bruckner,

 

Freedom of Information request F17-126

 

Thank you for your request for information dated 27 February 2017,
received by us on the same date, which is copied below.

 

We will endeavour to respond to your request promptly but in any case
within 20 working days i.e. on or before 28 March 2017.

 

If you have any queries about your request, please use the request number
quoted in the subject line of this email.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Sarah Price

IRIS Support Officer
Information Rights and Information Security (IRIS) Service | House of
Commons

 

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Click [2]here for details about Freedom of Information

in the House of Commons and to see what we publish.

 

 

 

 

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FOI Commons, House of Commons

1 Attachment

Dear Till Bruckner,

 

 

Freedom of Information request F17-126

 

Thank you for your request for information as copied below. You asked two
questions about individuals giving evidence to committees of the House of
Commons which we have sought to answer below. 

 

1) Please indicate the number of times individuals representing the
following organisations gave evidence to House of Commons committees
during the calendar year 2016, broken down by individual organisation and
by committee, indicating in each case whether the evidence given was
written and/or verbal, and providing in each case a hyperlink to the
evidence that was submitted:

·         Policy Network

·         Policy Exchange

·         Institute of Economic Affairs

·         Civitas

·         Centre for Policy Studies

·         Adam Smith Institute

·         International Institute for Strategic Studies

 

This information is held by the House of Commons.

 

However, the information you require is already publicly available on the
parliamentary website. Details of those individuals and organisations who
have submitted evidence to House of Commons committees are published as
part of each committee inquiry. You can find this on the relevant
committee’s webpages, and search by individual inquiry. Information on
House of Commons committees can be found here:
[1]http://www.parliament.uk/business/commit....

 

As the information you request is reasonably accessible to you otherwise
than under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), your request is
refused. In refusing your request the House is applying the exemption set
out in section 21 (1) and (2) (a) of the FOIA.  This is an absolute
exemption and the public interest test does not apply.

 

2) Please supply a list of disclosure forms (and/or functional
equivalents) that individuals and/or groups submitting written and/or
verbal evidence to committees must complete, and provide a link to these
form(s) and/or functional equivalent(s).

 

This information is not held by the House of Commons.

 

There are no disclosure forms which are required to be completed by
individuals or groups giving evidence to committees.  It may help you to
know that detailed guidance on giving evidence to a Select Committee of
the House of Commons is available on the parliamentary website here:
[2]http://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/co....

 

 

You may, if dissatisfied with the handling of your request, complain to
the House of Commons. Alternatively, if you are dissatisfied with the
outcome of your request you may ask the House of Commons to conduct an
internal review of any decision regarding your request. Complaints or
requests for internal review should be addressed to: Information Rights
and Information Security Service, Research & Information Team, House of
Commons, London SW1A 0AA or [3][House of Commons request email]. Please ensure
that you specify the full reasons for your complaint or internal review
along with any arguments or points that you wish to make.

 

If you remain dissatisfied, you may appeal to the Information Commissioner
at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF,
[4]www.ico.gov.uk.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Lauren

 

Lauren Puckey | IRIS Officer
Information Rights and Information Security (IRIS) Service | House of
Commons

Tel: 0207 219 4025 | Text Relay: 18001 219 4025 | Fifth Floor, 14 Tothill
St, London SW1H 9NB

 

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Click [6]here for information about FOI in the House of Commons,

or to see what we publish.

 

 

 

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Dear FOI Commons,

thank you very much for your reply. I really appreciate the rapid response and the useful links.

In the US, this never happens.

Best wishes,

Till Bruckner