Library Information

The request was successful.

Dear Queen Mary, University of London,

Could you please be able to provide me with data about the University's libraries?

1) How much have the libraries collected in fines since 2011? Can you provide a year-by-year breakdown of the data?

2) Figures on how many people accessed the libraries daily between 15 November - 15 December? And a breakdown of individual libraries if possible?

3) Total number of computers in libraries? And a breakdown of individual libraries if possible?

4) Risk assessments (or link to them) of Bancroft building and any departments working inside Bancroft Building

Yours faithfully,
Liam Pape

Queen Mary, University of London FOI, Queen Mary University of London

We acknowledge receipt of your request and will respond as soon as we can.

QM FOI Enquiries, Queen Mary University of London

4 Attachments

FOI 2017/F416

 

Dear Liam Pape,

 

Thank you for your email of 27^th December 2017.

 

I am pleased to provide the following information in response.

1. 2010/11 = £100,738

2011/12 = £101,401

2012/13 = £119,703

2014/15 = £83,012.71

2015/16 = £60,955.02

2016/17 = £45,709.44

2. Please see attached ‘Entry events and occupancy’. The ‘Entry Events’
for the month are classified as number of entries for specific groups of
users amalgamated by time of entry. 

3. Please see the attached spread sheet.

4. Please find attached the Fire Risk Assessment Report and an Engineering
Review Report. Some of the information in these has been withheld under
s.38 and s.31 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Under s.38 we
believe disclosure of certain information in to the public domain may
endanger the physical health or safety of individuals. With regards to the
s.31 exemption, if information, for example of detailed floorplans, were
released to the world at large, this could be useful to parties to show
ingress/egress points of the building and perhaps where items of value may
be found. This would then be likely to prejudice QMUL’s ability to prevent
or detect crime. We believe that s.31(1)(a) of the FOIA applies.
Information could be utilised in order to perpetrate acts against QMUL,
say to break in, possibly without detection.

 

These exemptions are subject to the public interest test. We recognise
that on the one hand there is always a public interest in the transparency
of an authority. This would be in favour of the public interest and
releasing. However, given that this disclosure would be to the world at
large, information which could raise the risk of endangerment to
individuals or property, would not be in the public interest. The
Information Commissioner also recognises that “There is a very strong
public interest in protecting the law enforcement capabilities of public
authorities”(1). We contend that some of the information you have
requested could allow individuals to commit crime and make it more
difficult to detect this and prosecute them as it may give them useful
knowledge to take advantage of any vulnerabilities and detailed knowledge
of the layout of the building. This would not be in the public interest.

 

On balance we believe that the public interest in withholding this
information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.

 

In addition, some personal data has also been withheld from these. This is
because it relates to identifiable individuals and since they have neither
consented nor would reasonably expect this to be disclosed in to the
public domain, it would not be fair and thus breach the first data
protection principle. Moreover, it could cause damage or distress to these
individuals. As such, we believe this information is exempt under s.40(2)
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by virtue of s.40(3)(a)(i). The
Information Commissioner states, “If the disclosure would not be fair, the
information must not be disclosed”(2). This is an absolute exemption.

 

One or more of the attachments provided is subject to copyright
protection. The copyright is owned by either Queen Mary University of
London or a third party. You are free to use information supplied for your
own use, including non-commercial research purposes. The information may
also be used for the purposes of news reporting. However, any other type
of re-use, for example by publishing the information or issuing copies to
the public will require the permission of the copyright holder.

 

If you are dissatisfied with this response, you may ask QMUL to conduct a
review of this decision.  To do this, please contact the College in
writing (including by fax, letter or email), describe the original
request, explain your grounds for dissatisfaction, and include an address
for correspondence.  You have 40 working days from receipt of this
communication to submit a review request.  When the review process has
been completed, if you are still dissatisfied, you may ask the Information
Commissioner to intervene. Please see [1]www.ico.org.uk for details.

Yours sincerely

                 

Paul Smallcombe

Records & Information Compliance Manager

 

(1)  
[2]https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...

(2)  
[3]https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...

References

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