Sectoral Studies concerning Brexit

The request was partially successful.

Mathias Schindler

Dear Department for Exiting the European Union,

according to media reports, the UK government holds over 50 sectoral studies concerning the effects of Brexit on the economy (for example http://www.cityam.com/274842/dexeu-has-f...). As I understand it, a number of FOIA requests have been made to obtain these studies itself.

I am requesting all information the Government holds concerning the creation of these studies, not the studies itself. This information might include emails and letters from and to the authors of the studies, specifications, feedback, invoices and other administrative documents.

In case these studies follow a common style guide, I am requesting these style guides as well as templates and formatting tools as well as any kind of artwork (in a broader sense) concerning these studies.

According to http://mollymep.org.uk/2017/10/30/govern..., 58 studies exist concerning a number of industries and sectors. I am requesting the information the government holds concerning the selection process for these studies and any information whenever a sector or industry was discarded, merged, renamed or redefined within the study drafting process.

Yours faithfully,

Mathias Schindler

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

Dear Mathias Schindler,
Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX000789. We will now respond
in line with the Freedom of Information Act.
Kind regards, 
DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

Correspondence Unit

[1]DfEEU_CYAN_SML_AW.png [2]line.png 9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG

E: [3][DEEU request email]  

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@DExEUgov

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

Please update me regarding the progress made processing my FOI request.

Yours sincerely,

Mathias Schindler

Mathias Schindler

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team,

I am writing to you concerning my freedom of information request (which was registered with the number DEX000789 by your Department).

I kindly ask you to tell me what the status of my request is and whether you can tell me if and when I can expect an answer.

Yours sincerely,

Mathias Schindler

Mathias Schindler

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

the response to my request is long overdue. Under all circumstances you should have responded by mail.

Yours sincerely,

Mathias Schindler

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

1 Attachment

Dear Mathias Schindler,

I am writing regarding your FOI request, reference DEX000789. Please find
our attached response. We realise that we have not replied in the
stipulated timeframe, as set by the FOI Act, and sincerely apologise for
the delay and any inconvenience that this may have caused.
Kind regards,

DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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E: [2][DEEU request email]  

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Mathias Schindler

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

thank you for your reply. You write:

"We would advise that with respect to part A, that you further clarify the specifics you are
looking for in order to allow for the request to fall within the Section 12 limitations. Due to
the manner in which our information is stored and that we cannot search all accounts in
scope at once, in this instance we would welcome an email dialogue with you to further
understand the specifics of the information you are seeking, in the hope that you will then
be able to submit another request which will fall within the Section 12 limitations. Further
information on making an FOI request can be found at the Information Commissioner's
Office’s website: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici...
"

and

"We wish to note that we find that part B and C, if taken in isolation, would fall within the
limitations set out in section 12 of the Act. "

If understood correctly, we could proceed with this FOIA request if the scope of the request of part A is narrowed down. I would hence propose to narrow the scope of part A down to information that initiated the creation of the individual studies, such as a letter asking or proposing to write or commission a study.

Would you confirm that such narrowing in scope would help to make this request fall within the Section 12 limitations and if not, would you please propose a fair solution?

Yours sincerely,

Mathias Schindler

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

Dear Mathias Schindler,

Thank you for your FOI request, new reference DEX001032 (as below). Please
note that we have checked in the Department and can confirm that this
request falls within the scope of section 12 of the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 (FoIA). We also wish to note that we logged this request on the
date it was received (23 January 2018). We will now respond in line with
FoIA.

Kind regards,

DExEU FOI Team
Request DEX001032
A) I am requesting all information the Government holds concerning the
creation of these studies, not the studies itself. This information might
include emails and letters from and to the authors of the
studies, specifications, feedback, invoices and other administrative
documents. [AMENDED TO : I would hence propose to narrow the scope of part
A down to information that initiated the creation of the individual
studies, such as a letter asking or proposing to write or commission a
study.]
B) In case these studies follow a common style guide, I am requesting
these style guides as well as templates and formatting tools as well as
any kind of artwork (in a broader sense) concerning these
studies. According
to [1]http://mollymep.org.uk/2017/10/30/govern...,
58 studies exist concerning a number of industries and sectors.
C) I am requesting the information the government holds concerning the
selection process for these studies and any information whenever a sector
or industry was discarded, merged, renamed or
redefined within the study drafting process.

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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E: [3][DEEU request email]  

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DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

1 Attachment

Dear Mathias Schindler,
Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX001032. Please find our
attached response.
Kind regards, 
DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
[1]DfEEU_CYAN_SML_AW.png
E: [2][DEEU request email]  

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Mathias Schindler

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

thank you for your letter dated July 4, 2018.

I share your sense of frustration regarding the slow pace of this request and I would like to contribute to having this request finally processed as quickly as possible.

You write:

"We do not think that continuing this search, which takes up vital Departmental resource,
meets the wider public interest. If the request were limited to information held by the
individual who led on the majority of this work (there was 1 key person appointed) and for
whom we have already gathered information regarding “whenever a sector or industry was
discarded, merged, renamed or redefined within the drafting process”, then we believe we
already hold this information.
"

Roughly speaking: If I agree to have question C limited to the information held by this particular individual, would you be able to send out the answer to my request from November 2017 within the next few days? If that is the case, let's proceed this way.

Yours sincerely,

Mathias Schindler

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

Dear Mathias Schindler,

Thank you for your response regarding your FOI DEX001032. We are bound by
the Freedom of Information Act timeframe and it is therefore not possible
for us to deal with a request in just a few days.

If you wish to proceed with your narrowed request, please write back to
confirm and I can log it from 6th July. We will then have 20 working days
to issue you our response. I realise your previous case was significantly
delayed but think in this instance, since the request is already narrowed,
we should be able to deal with it promptly.
Kind regards,
DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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E: [2][DEEU request email]  

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Mathias Schindler

Dear DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox,

Thank you for your email. Please proceed in the manner we discussed.

Yours sincerely,

Mathias Schindler

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

Dear Mathias Schindler,

I can confirm that your case is now logged under DEX001302. Please note
that due to response time I will add 1 working day on to the 20 working
days (to account for the working day of the 13th), but that I will start
the request from the received day of 6th July.

We will get back to you in due course with our response.

Kind regards,
DExEU FOI team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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E: [2][DEEU request email]  

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DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

1 Attachment

Dear Mathias Schindler,

Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX001302. Please find our
attached extension.

Kind regards,

DExEU FOI Team 

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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E: [2][DEEU request email]  

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DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

1 Attachment

Dear Mathias Schindler,

Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX001302. Please find our
attached response.

Kind regards,

DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
[1]DfEEU_CYAN_SML_AW.png
E: [2][DEEU request email]  

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Mathias Schindler

Dear Department for Exiting the European Union,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Exiting the European Union's handling of my FOI request 'Sectoral Studies concerning Brexit'.

I think the refusal of information is overly broad.

I am also concerned about the overall handling of the request, which took a considerable amount of time. I do not think that these delays were justified.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/s...

Yours faithfully,

Mathias Schindler

DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

1 Attachment

Dear Mathias Schindler,
Thank you for your FOI request, reference DEX001302. Please find our
attached response. We sincerely apologise for the delay in processing this
Internal Review.
Kind regards, 
DExEU FOI Team

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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E: [2][DEEU request email]  

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foiappeals Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Schindler
Please see attached a further response to your request for information.
regards
Freedom of Information Team
FOI Appeals 
Department for Exiting the European Union
9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
E: [1][email address]

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DEXEU Freedom of Information Team Mailbox, Department for Exiting the European Union

3 Attachments

Dear Mr Schindler,
Please see attached letter and information regarding your request for
information. This email has also been copied to the Information
Commissioner.
regards

Freedom of Information Team

9 Downing Street | London | SW1A 2AG
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E: [2][DEEU request email]  

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