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No deal Brexit planning

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Dear University of Kent,

Can you tell me what no deal planning has been done by the university and provide me the documents in regards to Brexit?

Can you tell me have there been any changes with the election of Boris Johnson?

Yours faithfully,

Abdul Hai

Foi, University of Kent

Dear Mr Hai,

 

Thank you for your information request. We will respond within 20 working
days.

 

Kind regards

Laura

 

Laura Anthony

Information Compliance Officer

 

University of Kent

[1][University of Kent request email]

[2]www.kent.ac.uk/infocompliance/

 

 

 

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Foi, University of Kent

Dear Mr Hai,

 

Thank you for your request, received on 1 October 2019.

 

We consider that disclosure of the information you have requested would be
likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the University, and
consequently we are proposing to withhold it under the commercial
interests exemption (section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act).
 However, this is a qualified exemption which requires us to consider the
public interest in disclosure of the information in order to apply the
exemption.

 

To fully consider the public interest arguments for and against disclosing
this information, we need to evaluate the opinions of senior managers. We
will therefore be extending the timeframe for response by up to a further
20 working days.

 

Kind regards

Laura

 

Laura Anthony

Information Compliance Officer

 

University of Kent

[1][University of Kent request email]

[2]www.kent.ac.uk/infocompliance/

 

 

 

From: Foi
Sent: 04 October 2019 11:05
To: 'Abdul Hai' <[3][FOI #608510 email]>
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information request - No deal Brexit planning

 

Dear Mr Hai,

 

Thank you for your information request. We will respond within 20 working
days.

 

Kind regards

Laura

 

Laura Anthony

Information Compliance Officer

 

University of Kent

[4][University of Kent request email]

[5]www.kent.ac.uk/infocompliance/

 

 

 

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Foi, University of Kent

5 Attachments

Dear Mr Hai,

 

Thank you for your information request, received on 1/10/2019. We
contacted you on 29/10/2019 to explain that we were extending the
timeframe for response to your request to consider the public interest
test for the application of the commercial interests exemption, Section 43
of the Freedom of Information Act.

 

Your request:

 

1.    Can you tell me what no deal planning has been done by the
university and provide me the documents in regards to Brexit?

 

Please find attached the following reports:

 

·         Brexit: Business Continuity Implications for the University

·         Brexit – Support for Staff

·         Brexit Exposure Report:  Update and No-Deal Planning

·         Brexit Comms Plan

·         No Deal Action Plans

 

Some of the information within the Brexit Exposure report, Brexit Comms
Plan and No Deal Action Plans have been redacted under Section 40(2)
(personal information) where it relates to an individual, and where it
could be potentially identifiable data such as statistics that contain
categories with numbers pertaining to fewer than 5 individuals. To prevent
the low numbers from being exposed in calculations using the surrounding
data, we have removed more data than simply that which is the low numbers,
but disclosed totals where possible.

 

Some of the redactions within the Brexit Exposure report, No Deal Action
Plans and all the redactions within the Brexit Support for Staff paper
have been redacted under Section 43 (commercial interests).

 

Section 43 is a qualified exemption, subject to the public interest test.

 

There is a public interest in knowing that the University is sufficiently
prepared for dealing with the uncertainty of Brexit. This is satisfied in
part by knowing that the University has produced analysis on the impact of
Brexit.

 

Balanced against this is the commercial detriment caused by disclosing the
University’s preparations and strategies that would prejudice or harm the
commercial interests of the University if they became public knowledge.
Such strategies would be of particular interest to competitor
universities.

 

In a competitive environment, to reveal strategies and plans for the
future provides your competitors with insight that they could use to seek
an advantage over our position, for example, by reassigning their
resources to best effect. This would not be in the public’s interest as it
would weaken the University’s position in the sector which could cause
further ramifications, e.g. reduced recruitment and financial loss.

 

For these reasons, we consider that the result of the public interest test
weighs in favour of applying redactions to such information.

 

 

2.    Can you tell me have there been any changes with the election of
Boris Johnson?

 

The University contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit responds to
stated Government positions and advice.

 

 

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been
handled, you can request an internal review within 40 days of the date of
this email by writing to: Information Compliance Team, Darwin College,
University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ or via email to: [1][University of Kent request email]

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint,
you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF. Telephone: 0303 123 1113 Website: [2]www.ico.org.uk.

 

There is no charge for making an appeal.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Laura Anthony

Information Compliance Officer

 

University of Kent

[3][University of Kent request email]

[4]www.kent.ac.uk/infocompliance/

 

References

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1. mailto:[University of Kent request email]
2. http://www.ico.org.uk/
3. mailto:[University of Kent request email]
4. http://www.kent.ac.uk/infocompliance/

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