Dear Sir or Madam,

Please provide me with a copy of the "Review of Teaching and Learning Support Services Report July 2008", which I believe was presented to the University's General Board as GB Paper No. 08.B.16 (although that reference may be incorrect).

I am aware that previously when FOI requests to the University have requested specific documents, the requester has been told that "the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) entitles individuals to have access to information, and not to documents". You should be aware that this is in conflict with paragraph 6 of the Explanatory Notes of the FOIA which states "The Act will permit people to apply for access to documents, or copies of documents, as well as to the information itself.". See:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2000/en/...

Also note the Ministry of Justice guidance at:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/foi-p...

which says:

"if the requester asks for the information to be made available in a particular way, you must comply with this so far as is reasonably practical. ... Sometimes applicants will request information in a particular form, perhaps asking for a copy of the minutes of a particular meeting. If it is reasonable to comply with an applicant's request as to the form in which information is disclosed, you are obliged to comply with that request."

In addition, note that the Information Commissioner has upheld this position, e.g. in paragraph 18 of the following Decision Notice:

http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/d...

Yours faithfully,

Bruce Beckles

Dear FOI,

I would like to clarify my request: I would like the document in question to be supplied to me in electronic format. My apologies for not making this explicit in the original wording of my request.

I am aware that the document has already been circulated within the University in electronic format and so assume that the University still has it in this format. If not, it should be possible to scan a paper copy of the document and so turn it into electronic form for considerably less than the statutory limit specified in the FOIA [above which you are not obliged to supply the information requested].

I observe that the Ministry of Justice guidance at

http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/foi-p...

states:

"If it is reasonable to comply with an applicant's request as to the form in which information is disclosed, you are obliged to comply with that request."

and that Section 11(1) of the FOIA states:

"Where, on making his request for information, the applicant expresses a preference for communication by any one or more of the following means, namely-

(a) the provision to the applicant of a copy of the information in permanent form or in another form acceptable to the applicant,

(b) the provision to the applicant of a reasonable opportunity to inspect a record containing the information, and

(c) the provision to the applicant of a digest or summary of the information in permanent form or in another form acceptable to the applicant,

the public authority shall so far as reasonably practicable give effect to that preference."

Once again, I apologise for not having made this preference explicit in my original request.

Yours sincerely,

Bruce Beckles

Dear FOI,

Thank you very much for your unaccustomedly prompt and helpful response.

Yours sincerely,

Bruce Beckles