Schedule of FOI Requests
Dear Belfast City Council,
I request a schedule of freedom of information requests received by Belfast City Council between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2014, giving the date of request; brief details of information requested; indicating whether all, some or none of the information requested was disclosed; and, where some or none of the information requested was disclosed, whether a Section 43(2) exemption was applied.
Yours faithfully,
John Ashe
Dear Mr Ashe
Thank you for your email sent on 3 April 2015 at 22:43, which the Council received on 8 April 2015, requesting, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, a schedule of freedom of information requests received by Belfast City Council between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2014, giving the date of request; brief details of information requested; indicating whether all, some or none of the information requested was disclosed; and, where some or none of the information requested was disclosed, whether a Section 43(2) exemption was applied.
I can confirm that the Council holds the information you have requested. However, as you may be aware, under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, a public authority does not have to comply with a request for information if it estimates that the cost of compliance would exceed the appropriate limit set out in the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. For public authorities, such as Belfast City Council, the appropriate limit is £450.00. This is calculated on the basis of 18 hours of staff time at a rate of £25.00 per hour.
The regulations also set out the costs which the Council can take into account when estimating whether complying with a request will exceed the appropriate limit. The Council can include costs it reasonably expects to incur in:
• locating the information or a document containing it;
• retrieving the information or a document containing it; and
• extracting the information from a document containing it.
The information which you have requested is not readily accessible, in particular whether all, some or none of the information requested was disclosed and/or information on whether Section 43(2) was applied to a freedom of information request. To comply with your request would require the Council to undertake an extensive review of a number of relevant electronic and paper record-keeping systems. I should advise that although the Council maintains an electronic recording system to record freedom of information requests, the outcome of each request i.e., whether all, some or none of the information requested was disclosed and where information was withheld, details of the exemption applied, has not been routinely recorded. Therefore, to comply with your request would require the Council to undertake a file by file review of its paper record-keeping system to retrieve the information requested. The Council estimates that the cost of locating, retrieving and extracting the requested information is £3750.00, which is calculated on the basis of 149 hours of staff time at the rate of £25.00 per hour. As the estimate exceeds the appropriate limit, the Council is not required to comply with your request in accordance with Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act.
You may wish to refine your request to keep it below the £450.00 appropriate limit. To assist you the Council has given consideration to what information it can provide without exceeding the appropriate cost limit. The Council could, for example, disclose free of charge the information you requested for a nine month period by searching its paper record-keeping system. Please advise me in writing if you wish to refine your request and specify the nine month period covered by your refined information request.
If you are dissatisfied with how the Council handled your request for information, you have the right to request that the Council formally review this decision. If you wish to do so, please write to the Records Manager, Belfast City Council, Chief Executive’s Department, City Hall, Belfast, BT1 5GS.
Should you remain dissatisfied following the Council’s internal review, you can seek an independent review from the Information Commissioner. Requests for an independent review should be made in writing to: The Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. However I would advise you that the Information Commissioner has indicated that a review will not be undertaken unless the Council has first had an opportunity to re-consider its decision.
If you have any queries about this email, please contact me.
Yours sincerely
Moya Sheridan
Belfast City Council
Dear Records - Chief Exec Records Manager,
Thank you for your reply; I'll limit the extent of information requested - please let me have a schedule of freedom of information requests received by Belfast City Council between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2014, giving the date of request and brief details of information requested.
Yours sincerely,
John Ashe
Dear Records - Chief Exec Records Manager,
Please confirm that you have received my refined request dated 12May, that you are collating the information requested and let me know when you will respond; given that you have an electronic recording system to record freedom of information requests I would expect my request to be responded to promptly, as required by the freedom of information act, rather than taking a full 20 days to do so.
Yours sincerely,
John Ashe
Dear Mr Ashe
Thank you for your email sent on 22 May 2015.
I acknowledge receipt of your refined request as set out in your email dated 12 May 2015. Your refined request is receiving our prompt attention.
The Council has decided that the information you requested in your email of 12 May 2015 can be disclosed. The requested information is currently being collated and it is envisaged that you it will be issued to you by Friday 29 May 2015.
Should you have any queries about this matter, please contact me.
Yours sincerely
Robert Corbett
Records Manager
Belfast City Council
Tel: 028 9027 0639
Dear Mr Ashe
Further to my colleague's email to you dated 26 May 2015, the information you have requested is provided in the attached spreadsheets.
If you are dissatisfied with how the Council handled your request for information, you have the right to request that the Council formally review this decision. If you wish to do so, please write to the Records Manager, Belfast City Council, Chief Executive’s Department, Records Management Unit, Room 218, City Hall, Belfast, BT1 5GS.
Should you remain dissatisfied following the Council’s internal review, you can seek an independent review from the Information Commissioner. Requests for an independent review should be made in writing to: The Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. However I would advise you that the Information Commissioner has indicated that a review will not be undertaken unless the Council has first had an opportunity to re-consider its decision.
If you have any queries about this email, please contact me.
Yours sincerely
Moya Sheridan
Records Management Unit
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now