Dear Cabinet Office,
1) Can I have copy of the letter sent Simon Case from Doug Thornton dated 3rd September
2021.
The letter was regarding HS2 Fraud & Maladministration.
2) Can I also have any documents that discuss this letter.
If there is a problem with 2), please respond to 1) before asking for clarification.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Haville
Our ref: FOI2024/02147
Dear Mike Haville,
Thank you for your request for information which was received on 14th
February. Your request is being handled under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 ('the Act').
The Act requires that a response must be given promptly, and in any event
within 20 working days. We will therefore aim to reply at the latest by
13th March.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.
Yours sincerely,
Freedom of Information Team
Cabinet Office
Dear Mike Haville
The date that the response is due for your request, FOI2024/02147, has
been changed to 15th April. Please see the attached letter.
Kind Regards
FOI Team
Cabinet Office
Dear Cabinet Office,
Please specify which part of Section 35 you are engaging 35 ?(1 a - d) as none seem to apply.
The letter should contain information of fraud in a government body & would not seem to be covered
by any part of section 35.
a) It should not contain "any information relating to the formulation and development of government policy"
b) It cannot contain any "communications between ministers and any information relating to those communications."
c) It cannot be "legal advice from the Law Officers"
d) It cannot be " information relating to the operation of ministerial private offices"
As stated in original request: "If there is a problem with 2), please respond to 1) before asking for clarification".
As such please send the requested letter by return
Yours faithfully,
Mike Haville
Dear Mike Haville,
Thank you for your email.
Please note that the use of these exemptions are still being considered
and the final outcome will be provided in our response to FOI2023/02147.
We do not provide ongoing commentary regarding the consideration of public
interest tests as a matter of normal practice and will not enter into
further correspondence about this until we have issued our final response.
Kind regards,
Freedom of Information Team,
Cabinet Office
Dear FOI Team Mailbox,
Thankyou for your reply.
Internal review request.
As I have been down this rabbit hole before, ie public interest <-> we are still considering <-> we do not comment & been fobbed along for several months, can I request an internal review, so that you can refuse
& then I can go to ICO.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Haville
Dear Mike Haville
Thank you for your recent email. We apologise for the delay in receiving a
response to your FOI request. However, it is not possible to conduct an
Internal Review until the FOI response has been issued/received. We hope
to have a reply to you shortly.
Regards
FOI Team
Dear Mike Haville
The date that the response is due for your request, FOI2024/02147, has
been changed to 14th May. Please see the attached letter.
Kind Regards
FOI Team
Cabinet Office
Dear Mike Haville,
Please find attached our response to your recent Freedom of Information
request (reference FOI2024/02147).
Yours sincerely,
Freedom of Information Team
Cabinet Office
Dear Cabinet Office,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I have already requested an internal review, but having been down the FOI rabbit hole with
the CO before , I am making the request again.
I am writing to request an internal review of Cabinet Office's handling of my FOI request 'Letter to Simon Case'.
In that review can you address how a letter from a member of public can be covered by section 35 (1) a.
The request was in 2 parts:-
“1) Can I have copy of the letter sent Simon Case from Doug Thornton dated 3rd September
2021. The letter was regarding HS2 Fraud & Maladministration.
2) Can I also have any documents that discuss this letter.
If there is a problem with 2), please respond to 1) before asking for clarification.”
Part 1 of the request was for a copy of the letter, you have refused under section 35 (1)a, of the Freedom of Information Act, which protects the formulation of policy. Disclosure would weaken Ministers’ and senior officials' ability to discuss controversial and sensitive topics free from premature public scrutiny.
The letter itself, as it is from a member of the public & therefore cannot be covered in any form under 'formulation of policy'.
As to part 2 of the request it can can only be covered by section 35 (1) c & if so, you could have redacted.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/l...
Yours faithfully,
Mike Haville
Dear Mike Haville,
Thank you for your request for an internal review (reference
IR2024/05805), which was prompted by our response to your request for
information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We shall endeavour to complete the internal review and respond to you
within 20 working days.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Dear Cabinet Office,
It has now been 37 working days since the request.
Can I have a reply by return.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Haville
Dear Mike Haville,
Thank you for your email.
The ICO advises that public authorities should take no longer than 40
working days to complete an internal review and while we work hard to
ensure that responses are issued in a timely manner this is not always
possible.
Please accept our apologies that on this occasion we have not been able to
issue a response within the time frame advised by the ICO. I would like to
assure you that the review is still being conducted and a response will be
issued to you as soon as it has concluded.
Kind regards.
FOI Team
Cabinet Office
Dear FOI Team Mailbox,
Thank you for the update
I will look forward to your reply next Tuesday
Yours sincerely,
Mike Haville
Dear Cabinet Office,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Cabinet Office's handling of my FOI request 'Letter to Simon Case'. Internal review it has now been over 40 days & well past the limit allowed.
Please can an answer
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/l...
Yours faithfully,
Mike Haville
Dear Mike Haville,
Thank you for your email.
The ICO advises that public authorities should take no longer than 40
working days to complete an internal review and while we work hard to
ensure that responses are issued in a timely manner this is not always
possible.
Please accept our apologies that on this occasion we have not been able to
issue a response within the time frame advised by the ICO. I would like to
assure you that the review is still being conducted and a response will be
issued to you as soon as it has concluded.
Kind regards.
FOI Team
Cabinet Office
Dear Mike Haville,
Please find attached our response to your request for an Internal Review
(reference IR2024/05805).
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Mike Haville left an annotation ()
It seems Doug Thornton is more important than he thought - his letter to Simon Case has been 'used in the formulation of govt policy' - well done Doug
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Mike Haville left an annotation ()
Once again sharp practice by the the Cabinet Office.
CO keeps extending the FOI request quoting S35 & then won't conduct an internal review because FOI has not been answered. Last time went on for 18 months.
I have lodged a complaint with the ICO.