Dear Ms McDonnell

Thank you for your email dated 5 December 2013 requesting, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, information on mammals/birds/reptiles/amphibians/fish/marsupials infected by disease/illness/sickness in the last five years. You further requested details of the cause of the diseases, illnesses, infections; the type of disease, illness, infection diagnosed; the treatment for the said disease, illness, infection; and the health of the animal(s) when treatment ceased including death rates.

I can confirm that Belfast City Council does hold 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 as 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:

• determining whether it hold the information requested;
• locating the information or 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 as it is not held in a computerised filling system but is held in a paper based filing system i.e.in the vets’ diary and to comply with your request for information for the past five years would require the Council to undertake an extensive review of the relevant records. The Council estimates that the costs of determining whether it holds all of the information you requested and locating, retrieving and extracting it is £4350.00, which is calculated on the basis of 174 hours of staff time at a 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 2000.

You may wish to refine your request to keep it below the £450.00 appropriate limit. The Council could for example, disclose free of charge, the information relating to the cause of disease, illness, infections; the type of disease, illness, infection diagnosed; the treatment for the said disease, illness, infection; and the health of the animal(s) when treatment ceased including death rates for the preceding six months i.e. May to November 2013. Please advise me in writing if you wish to refine your 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, Chief Executive’s Department, Belfast City Council, 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

Emma MacDougall
Acting Commercial Support Officer
Belfast Zoological Gardens, Antrim Road, Belfast, BT36 7PN, Northern Ireland
Telephone:     (+44) 028 9077 6277 ext. 227
Fax:                (+44) 028 9037 0578
 
www.belfastzoo.co.uk
www.facebook.com/belfastzoo
www.twitter.com/belfastzoo
 
Winner, best visitor experience, Northern Ireland Tourism Awards 2013
Winner, marketing and sales excellence, Northern Ireland Tourism Awards 2012
Winner, visitor inspired, Northern Ireland Tourism Awards 2011
Winner, best place in Ulster to spend the day with the children, UTV’s Ultimate Ulster 2011
 
Winner, best use of social media by a tourist attraction, Northern Ireland Social Media Awards 2011
Winner of CIM Best On-Line Marketing Programme 2010 
 
Belfast Zoo is "one of the most appealing zoos in Britain and Ireland." (Lonely Planet Travel Guide)

show quoted sections

Dear Mary McDonnell
 
Thank you for your email dated 5 December 2013 requesting, under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, information on
mammals/birds/reptiles/amphibians/fish/marsupials infected by
disease/illness/sickness in the last five years.  You further requested
details of the cause of the diseases, illnesses, infections; the type of
disease, illness, infection diagnosed; the treatment for the said disease,
illness, infection; and the health of the animal(s) when treatment ceased
including death rates.
 
I can confirm that Belfast City Council does hold 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 as 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:
 

* determining whether it hold the information requested;
* locating the information or 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 as it
is not held in a computerised filling system but is held in a paper based
filing system i.e. in the vets’ diary and to comply with your request for
information for the past five years would require the Council to undertake
an extensive review of the relevant records.  The Council estimates that
the costs of determining whether it holds all of the information you
requested and locating, retrieving and extracting it is £4350.00, which is
calculated on the basis of 174 hours of staff time at a 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 2000.
 
You may wish to refine your request to keep it below the £450.00
appropriate limit.  The Council could for example, disclose free of
charge, the information relating to the cause of disease, illness,
infections; the type of disease, illness, infection diagnosed; the
treatment for the said disease, illness, infection; and the health of the
animal(s) when treatment ceased including death rates for a six month
period. Please advise me in writing if you wish to refine your 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, Chief Executive’s Department, Belfast City Council, 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
 
 
Mark Challis
 
Zoo Manager
 
Belfast Zoological Gardens, Antrim Road, Belfast, BT36 7PN, Northern
Ireland
 
Telephone:     (+44) 028 9077 6277 ext. 208
Fax:                (+44) 028 9037 0578
 
[1]www.belfastzoo.co.uk
[2]www.facebook.com/belfastzoo
[3]www.twitter.com/belfastzoo
 
Winner, best visitor experience, Northern Ireland Tourism Awards 2013
Winner, tourism and hospitality public sector, CIM Ireland Marketing
Excellence Awards 2012 
Winner, marketing and sales excellence, Northern Ireland Tourism Awards
2012
Winner, visitor inspired, Northern Ireland Tourism Awards 2011
Winner, best place in Ulster to spend the day with the children, UTV’s
Ultimate Ulster 2011
 
Winner, best use of social media by a tourist attraction, Northern Ireland
Social Media Awards 2011
Winner, CIM Best On-Line Marketing Programme 2010 
 
Belfast Zoo is "one of the most appealing zoos in Britain and Ireland."
(Lonely Planet Travel Guide)
 
 
 
 
 

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.belfastzoo.co.uk/
2. http://www.facebook.com/belfastzoo
3. http://www.twitter.com/belfastzoo