Dear Cabinet Office,

On 6th September 2019 I made a FOI request about PM Lecterns
You gave it the reference FOI328553 and on 7th October a Nicholas Howard replied to the effect that you held no records relating to my FOI.

I have become aware that my interest in these expensive items have also attracted interest from other quarters so I now submit a related FOI request.

If it is still the case that the No 10 Downing Street Cabinet Office has no record of any information as to the variety of lecterns used by all the many PMs, kindly advise me, as required by the Act, who will have the information that I seek and to whom I should address my FOI.

I notice that the Mail online of 23rd October 2022*, reports, and shows, photos of no less than five different lecterns used by Brown, Cameron, May, Johnson and Truss outside of your office at No 10 Downing street. Sunak can be found using a sixth design of lectern. I cannot conceive that these are rattled out with a seemingly new design for new PMs without someone knowing rather more about the procedure than Mr Howard. May I suggest the door keeper be asked for a lead - if nothing can be found in the Cabinet Office records.

I now have the following questions under the FOI and Environmental Regs.
1. What is the procedure for a PM, or his staff, exercising a right/invitation to have a bespoke lectern upon entering No 10 as a new PM?
2. Who produces these lecterns and at what cost to the public?
3. What wood is used, is it from sustainable sources?
4. What happens to the lecterns of an outgoing PM?
5.Do PMs keep theirs as some sort of token reminder of their time in office? Do they pay for them in such circumstances and if so how much?

Considering the rather unconvincing reply from my 2022 enquiry, rest assured that I will not find a 'no knowledge' response acceptable. I, and others, cannot conceive that such widely featured and important items are not the subject of records.

Kindly answer promptly in accordance with the Act

Yours faithfully,

T Todd
* https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Dear FOI Team Mailbox,
Let me put it this way then if it helps.
FOI and Environmental Regs request.
What information do you hold in relation to the lecterns used by PMs, from Brown to Sunak, used for making statements outside 10 Downing Street.
Please include copies of invoices and all records of their disposal that you may hold.
In accordance with the FOI Act, if you do not hold any such information you should assist me in obtaining it by providing guidance as to the appropriate route to determine who holds the requested information. (S.16) (I have assumed that as this relates to matters literally outside your front door you will know which office is most appropriate to address my FOI to - if not you.
Yours sincerely,

T Todd

Dear Cabinet Office,

I acknowledge receipt of your response dated 14th March 2023.

I am disappointed to conclude that you have used several exemptions of the Act to avoid answering my simple questions. Further, you have appear to failed to comply with S 16 and the duty provide the advice and assistance that might reasonably be expected.

Your initial response sought to rely on a suggestion that the information did not exist and you were not required to generate such information. This was hard to believe and shown as untrue by your subsequent response..

Your most recent response now claims that retrieval costs would likely exceed the amount permitted by the Act. It does though confirms that there are such records already in existence.

Again I find the explanation unconvincing.

You have failed to provide me with advice and assistance. Other FOIs I have made have entered into a conversation as to how I might obtain some of the information, by reducing the parameters for example.

I would be willing to tailor my request to something that you can manage. Offering such an option would save your department the time and costs that will now be involved in challenging your decision.

I must now formally request a review of my request in anticipation of a formal complaint to ICO

Yours faithfully,

T Todd