Freedom of Information Act Complaints Procedures

The request was refused by University of Salford.

Dear University of Salford,

FOIA makes reference to complaints procedures at section 45 (concerning the Code of Practice) and at section 50; both relate to circumstances where an applicant wishes to complain about the response of a public authority to a request for information.

Section VI of the Section 45 Code of Practice states that “each public authority should have a procedure in place for dealing with complaints … in relation to its handling of requests for information.”

The spirit of the Code is that internal reviews should be completed as soon as possible. For example:

- a complaints procedure should be designed to allow prompt
determination of complaints (para 39)
- target times should be set for dealing with complaints (para 42).
- the code also recommends that the target times are reviewed regularly and that each authority should publish them together with information on its success in meeting those targets.
- there is also an implied recommendation that the complainant should be kept fully informed throughout the review process.

The Information Commissioner considers that a reasonable time for completing an internal review is 20 working days from the date of the request for review and that in no case should the total time taken exceed 40 working days.

Please could you provide the following information:

1. What is the University of Salford's set target time for dealing with complaints? (see para 42).

2. Copies of any documents relating to reviews of the target times, and information on your success in meeting those targets (The code recommends that you should publish these anyway, and I should not even have to request them. However, I could not find them on your website.)

3. What is the total number of FOI requests received by the University of Salford, dating from 1st Jan 2008 to the present day and broken down annually, that were subject to an internal review?

4. How many requests for internal review, dating from 1st Jan 2008 to the present day and broken down annually, were completed within 20 working days from the date of the request for review?

5. How many requests for internal review, dating from 1st Jan 2008 to the present day and broken down annually, were completed within 40 working days from the date of the request for review?

Yours faithfully,

Andy Atkinson

Foi, University of Salford

Dear Mr Atkinson,

I write in response to your request for information made to the
University of Salford under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 via
www.whatdotheyknow.com. This request will not be processed because it,
along with a number of other requests, is being treated as vexatious
under section 14(1) of the Act.

Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice.

You have the right to complain against the handling of your requests. If
you wish to complain, please set out in writing your ground(s) of
complaint and send to Matthew Stephenson, Head of Information
Governance, at the address below.

Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner
at the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 01625 545 700, website
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.

Matthew Stephenson

Head of Information Governance
Governance Services
University of Salford
Clifford Whitworth Building
Salford
M5 4WT

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Dear University of Salford,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of University of Salford's handling of my FOI request 'Freedom of Information Act Complaints Procedures'. This is a complaint, I am dissatisfied.

My request was only provoked by the behavior of the university itself, because the evidence from whatdotheyknow.com suggests that you ignore valid FoI requests, you do not respond in 20 days, you do not have an internal review procedure, and you do not maintain a publication scheme. You have provided no basis for your assertion that the request is vexatious

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/fr...

Yours faithfully,

Andy Atkinson

Foi, University of Salford

Dear Sir/Madam,

As per your request, the University of Salford has conducted an internal
review of its decision relating to your request for information made
under the Freedom of Information.

I apologise for the delay in responding. The review was of a large
number of individual requests which contributed to this delay.

The outcome of the review was to uphold the original decision. The
request is considered, along with a number of other requests, to be
vexatious as specified under section 14(1) of the Freedom of Information
Act and so your request will not be processed.

Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of section 17 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice.

You have the right to complain against the handling of your request.
You may do so to the Information Commissioner's Office whose address is:
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 01625
545 700, website www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.

Yours faithfully

Matthew Stephenson

Head of Information Governance
Governance Services
University of Salford
Clifford Whitworth Building
Salford
M5 4WT

T: 0161 295 6856
F: 0161 295 6339
[email address]
www.infogov.salford.ac.uk

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