Mayor's emails

The request was refused by Tower Hamlets Borough Council.

Dear Tower Hamlets Borough Council,

Please send me all emails sent or received by the elected mayor of the council, Lutfur Rahman, between January 1, 2014 and April 13, 2014,

I am happy for names of anyone who does not work for any public authority to be redacted

Yours faithfully,

Charles Darwen

Misbaul Faim, Tower Hamlets Borough Council

 

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 FOI Request

 

Thank you for your email.

 

Your request is being considered and you will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days as required by the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.

 

If the time taken to meet your request is likely to exceed 18 hours, we
will likely refuse to provide the information.  In that case, we will try
to contact you and offer advice and assistance on how to amend your
request to bring it below this time limit.

 

Regards

 

Misbaul Faim

Corporate Complaints and Information

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Mulberry Place

London E14 2BG

020 7364 1714

[1][email address]

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

Jane L Jones, Tower Hamlets Borough Council

 
 
Dear Sir/Madam
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
The Council has decided that your request for information will not be
processed on grounds of cost.
 
It is estimated that the cost of locating and retrieving the information
requested calculated according to the government’s Freedom of Information
(Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004 would exceed the upper limit
of £450 set in the Regulations 2004.
 
Section 12 1(1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a
request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of
complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit
 
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 this email acts as
a Refusal Notice.
 
The best way we can help you is to ask you to consider narrowing down your
request to focus more clearly on the precise information you are seeking.
 
I am sorry that your request is not being met on this occasion.
 
Yours faithfully
 
 
 
Jane Jones
Information Governance Administrative Officer
Legal Services
6th Floor
Mulberry Place
London E14 2BG
0207 364 4736
[1][email address]
 
You have the right to complain to the Council about this decision.  If you
wish to do this please write to:
 
Corporate Complaints Unit
Tower Hamlets Town Hall
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG
 
If you are subsequently not satisfied with the Council’s response to your
complaint you have a right of appeal to the independent Information
Commissioner at:
 
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
[2]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
 
Further information about the operation of the Act is available from the
Council’s website [3]www.towerhamlets.gov.uk and the information leaflet
in public reception areas in Council buildings. 
 
 
 

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/blocked::mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/
3. http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/

Richard Symonds left an annotation ()

Perhaps asking for a shorter period?

Charles Darwen

Dear Jane L Jones,

Hi,

I want to request that you shortern the period so it relates to January 2014,

Yours sincerely,

Charles Darwen

Misbaul Faim, Tower Hamlets Borough Council

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 FOI Request

 

Thank you for your email.

 

Your request is being considered and you will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days as required by the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.

 

If the time taken to meet your request is likely to exceed 18 hours, we
will likely refuse to provide the information.  In that case, we will try
to contact you and offer advice and assistance on how to amend your
request to bring it below this time limit.

 

Regards

 

Misbaul Faim

Corporate Complaints and Information

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Mulberry Place

London E14 2BG

020 7364 1714

[1][email address]

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

Dear Misbaul Faim,

I ask that you change the time period to 'January 1, 2014 to January 10, 2014.

Yours sincerely,

Charles Darwen

Dear Misbaul Faim,

Can you acknowledge my request, please?

Yours sincerely,

Charles Darwen

Dear Misbaul Faim,

Please respond to my quest

Yours sincerely,

Charles Darwen

Muhammed Iqbal left an annotation ()

Under FOI laws the time it takes to redact sensitive information cannot be included in the time or cost involved in doing so.

http://www.out-law.com/page-10615

Muhammed Iqbal left an annotation ()

So all they can estimate is the time it takes to retrieve the emails and send them to you, which would take no longer than an hour at most.

Jane L Jones, Tower Hamlets Borough Council

 
 
Dear Sir/Madam
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
The Council has decided that your request for information will not be
processed on grounds of cost.
 
The Mayor receives and sends between 160 and 200 emails per day. It is
considered that to locate retrieve and extract information that could be
released under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act) would take
over 18 hours.

Section 12 of the FOI Act provides for Local Authorities to exempt
information where the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit.
This limit is set at 18 hours.

It is also likely that if the email correspondence will contain personal
data which is exempt under Section 40 of the FOI Act.

It is also considered that blanket requests like this may constitute a
fishing expedition and used to seek further information. Such requests are
considered vexatious and section 14 of the FOI Act applies. The Council is
not obliged to respond.
The FOI Act, Section 16, places a duty to upon the local authority to
offer advice and assistance and to this end you may wish to refine your
request, setting out any specific topic you seek information on, or in
some other way. However I should also advise you that the section 40
exemption may still apply and it is also possible that other exemptions
will apply to some documents. However it is not possible to determine this
without examining all the documents in detail.
This letter acts as a refusal notice.
 
I am sorry that your request is not being met on this occasion.
 
Yours faithfully
 
 
 
Jane Jones
Information Governance Administrative Officer
Legal Services
6th Floor
Mulberry Place
London E14 2BG
0207 364 4736
[1][email address]
 
You have the right to complain to the Council about this decision.  If you
wish to do this please write to:
 
Corporate Complaints Unit
Tower Hamlets Town Hall
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG
 
If you are subsequently not satisfied with the Council’s response to your
complaint you have a right of appeal to the independent Information
Commissioner at:
 
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
[2]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
 
Further information about the operation of the Act is available from the
Council’s website [3]www.towerhamlets.gov.uk and the information leaflet
in public reception areas in Council buildings. 
 
 
 

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References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/blocked::mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/
3. http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/
4. http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/
5. mailto:[Tower Hamlets Borough Council request email]