Dear University of Cambridge,

Please tell me how many staff have been dismissed from the University since 1 January 2004, breaking down the figure by calendar year and staff category (unestablished, assistant, academic-related, academic, etc). Should it not be possible to provide me with all the information I have requested, please take into account that I am most interested in the figures for recent years and for academic and academic-related staff in deciding what information could be provided.

In particular, I appreciate it might be the case that the amount of work required to answer these questions may exceed the appropriate limit prescribed by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). If that were to be the case I would hope that the University would follow the appropriate guidance ("Using the Fees Regulations") issued by the Information Commissioner, namely:

"Where an authority refuses a request because the appropriate limit has been exceeded, it should, bearing in mind the duty under section 16 of the FOIA to advise and assist an applicant, provide information on how the estimate has been arrived at and provide advice to the applicant as to how the request could be refined or limited to come within the cost limit."

This guidance is available on-line at:

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

Yours faithfully,

Bruce Beckles

Dear FOI,

Thank you very much for your uncharacteristically helpful response. I am pleased to see that the University has now adopted a policy of handling Freedom of Information requests that is in compliance with Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act (2000). Long may this continue.

Yours sincerely,

Bruce Beckles