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FOI denials.

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Dear Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

Based on personal experiences, I am concerned that in a post-Brexit Britain there has been an unannounced and deliberate attempt to prevent open access to government information, as laid out in the Freedom of Information Act.

To this end, I would like to ask the following:

Please can you tell me for two 5 month periods (23 Jan 2015 - 22 June 2016 and 23 June 2016 - 22 Nov 2016):

1. How many Freedom of Information requests your department recieved.
2. How many of these FOI requests were responded to with a formed answer (this does not includ confirmation of reciept answers).
3. How many of these answered FOI responses gave details as requested.
4. How many of these answered FOI responses were refused (for whatever reason - cost, outside the scope of FOI etc. etc.)

If, give the time constraints of FOI you still have time left on the clock, so to speak, can I also ask if you have recieved any internal messaging relating to anything that might be considered a 'go slow' approach to FOIs, or any other memos that would suggest that there has been orders not to answer questions relating to Brexit issues.

Thank you very much for this. Please treat the main 4 questions as the priority in this request.

Yours faithfully,

Iain Overton

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Dear Mr Overton,
 
Thank you for your FOI request to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
 
Can we please check with you that you mean ’23 Jan 2016 and not 23 Jan
2015’ as set out in your request.
 
Please can you tell me for two 5 month periods (23 Jan 2015 - 22 June 2016
and 23 June 2016 - 22 Nov 2016):
 
Once we receive your revised request we will consider it and the
appropriate course of action.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
 
FOI and DPA Team
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Iain Overton [[1]mailto:[FOI #375228 email]]
Sent: 04 December 2016 11:56
To: FOI-DPA IMD (Sensitive)
Subject: Freedom of Information request - FOI denials.
 
Dear Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
 
Based on personal experiences, I am concerned that in a post-Brexit
Britain there has been an unannounced and deliberate attempt to prevent
open access to government information, as laid out in the Freedom of
Information Act.
 
To this end, I would like to ask the following:
 
Please can you tell me for two 5 month periods (23 Jan 2015 - 22 June 2016
and 23 June 2016 - 22 Nov 2016):
 
1. How many Freedom of Information requests your department recieved.
2. How many of these FOI requests were responded to with a formed answer
(this does not includ confirmation of reciept answers).
3. How many of these answered FOI responses gave details as requested.
4. How many of these answered FOI responses were refused (for whatever
reason - cost, outside the scope of FOI etc. etc.)
 
If, give the time constraints of FOI you still have time left on the
clock, so to speak, can I also ask if you have recieved any internal
messaging relating to anything that might be considered a 'go slow'
approach to FOIs, or any other memos that would suggest that there has
been orders not to answer questions relating to Brexit issues.
 
Thank you very much for this. Please treat the main 4 questions as the
priority in this request.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Iain Overton
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[2][FOI #375228 email]
 
Is [3][FCO request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Foreign and Commonwealth Office? If so, please contact us
using this form:
[4]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
 
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[5]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
 
For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[6]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...
 
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
 
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 

***********************************************************************************
Visit [7]http://www.gov.uk/fco  for British foreign policy news and travel
advice and [8]http://blogs.fco.gov.uk to read our blogs.
 
This email (with any attachments) is intended for the attention of the
addressee(s) only. If you are not the intended recipient, please inform
the sender straight away before deleting the message without copying,
distributing or disclosing its contents to any other person or
organisation. Unauthorised use, disclosure, storage or copying is not
permitted.
Any views or opinions expressed in this e-mail do not necessarily reflect
the FCO's policy.
The FCO keeps and uses information in line with the Data Protection Act
1998. Personal information may be released to other UK government
departments and public authorities.
All messages sent and received by members of the Foreign & Commonwealth
Office and its missions overseas may be automatically logged, monitored
and/or recorded in accordance with the Telecommunications (Lawful Business
Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000.
***********************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #375228 email]
2. mailto:[FOI #375228 email]
3. mailto:[FCO request email]
4. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
5. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
6. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...
7. http://www.gov.uk/fco
8. http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/

hide quoted sections

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Dear Iain Overton,

 

Thank you for your FOI request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
It has been assigned a unique reference number (above) and has been passed
to the relevant section within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to deal
with. They will be in touch with you should your request need
clarification.

 

We received your request on 04 December 2016 and will aim to respond
within 20 working days, following date of receipt.

 

Yours sincerely

 

FOI and DPA Team

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Iain Overton [[1]mailto:[FOI #375228 email]]

Sent: 04 December 2016 11:56

To: FOI-DPA IMD (Sensitive)

Subject: Freedom of Information request - FOI denials.

 

Dear Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

 

Based on personal experiences, I am concerned that in a post-Brexit
Britain there has been an unannounced and deliberate attempt to prevent
open access to government information, as laid out in the Freedom of
Information Act.

 

To this end, I would like to ask the following:

 

Please can you tell me for two 5 month periods (23 Jan 2015 - 22 June 2016
and 23 June 2016 - 22 Nov 2016):

 

1. How many Freedom of Information requests your department recieved.

2. How many of these FOI requests were responded to with a formed answer
(this does not includ confirmation of reciept answers).

3. How many of these answered FOI responses gave details as requested.

4. How many of these answered FOI responses were refused (for whatever
reason - cost, outside the scope of FOI etc. etc.)

 

If, give the time constraints of FOI you still have time left on the
clock, so to speak, can I also ask if you have recieved any internal
messaging relating to anything that might be considered a 'go slow'
approach to FOIs, or any other memos that would suggest that there has
been orders not to answer questions relating to Brexit issues.

 

Thank you very much for this. Please treat the main 4 questions as the
priority in this request.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Iain Overton

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[2][FOI #375228 email]

 

Is [3][FCO request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Foreign and Commonwealth Office? If so, please contact us
using this form:

[4]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[5]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

 

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:

[6]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

 

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

***********************************************************************************
Visit [7]http://www.gov.uk/fco  for British foreign policy news and travel
advice and [8]http://blogs.fco.gov.uk to read our blogs.
 
This email (with any attachments) is intended for the attention of the
addressee(s) only. If you are not the intended recipient, please inform
the sender straight away before deleting the message without copying,
distributing or disclosing its contents to any other person or
organisation. Unauthorised use, disclosure, storage or copying is not
permitted.
Any views or opinions expressed in this e-mail do not necessarily reflect
the FCO's policy.
The FCO keeps and uses information in line with the Data Protection Act
1998. Personal information may be released to other UK government
departments and public authorities.
All messages sent and received by members of the Foreign & Commonwealth
Office and its missions overseas may be automatically logged, monitored
and/or recorded in accordance with the Telecommunications (Lawful Business
Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000.
***********************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #375228 email]
2. mailto:[FOI #375228 email]
3. mailto:[FCO request email]
4. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
5. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
6. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...
7. http://www.gov.uk/fco
8. http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/

hide quoted sections

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

1 Attachment

Dear Iain Overton,

 

I attach our reply to your FOI request.

 

Your sincerely,

 

FOI-DPA Team

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

 

 

***********************************************************************************
Visit [1]http://www.gov.uk/fco  for British foreign policy news and travel
advice and [2]http://blogs.fco.gov.uk to read our blogs.
 
This email (with any attachments) is intended for the attention of the
addressee(s) only. If you are not the intended recipient, please inform
the sender straight away before deleting the message without copying,
distributing or disclosing its contents to any other person or
organisation. Unauthorised use, disclosure, storage or copying is not
permitted.
Any views or opinions expressed in this e-mail do not necessarily reflect
the FCO's policy.
The FCO keeps and uses information in line with the Data Protection Act
1998. Personal information may be released to other UK government
departments and public authorities.
All messages sent and received by members of the Foreign & Commonwealth
Office and its missions overseas may be automatically logged, monitored
and/or recorded in accordance with the Telecommunications (Lawful Business
Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000.
***********************************************************************************

References

Visible links
1. http://www.gov.uk/fco
2. http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/

hide quoted sections

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Iain Overton please sign in and let everyone know.