Pinfold Act

Summary

A request was made for the locations and contact numbers of Pinfolds under the Pinfolds Act 1963, but the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture responded that no such information is held because the government currently maintains no pinfolds.

Key Facts

• The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture does not hold information on Pinfold locations or out-of-hours contact numbers.
• There are presently no pinfolds maintained by the government.
• The Pinfolds Act 1963 does not create an absolute requirement for the Department to maintain pinfolds at all times.
• Improved animal traceability procedures since the 1980s have rendered the use of pinfolds outdated.
• Straying animals found during working hours should be reported to the Department, while dangerous straying outside office hours should be reported to the police.

Data Disclosed

• 2017-12-18
• 2017-12-28
• 1963
• 1980s
• IM114106I
• 01624 685854
• 01624 685851
• IM4 3AS

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Page 1 of 2

 Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture

  Rheynn Chymmyltaght, Bee as Eirinys

28th December 2017

Dear ,

Request under the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (FoIA) Ref: IM114106I Pinfold Act Thank you for your request dated 18th December 2017. You asked: “Can you please advise of the locations of Pinfolds as required by the Pinfolds Act 1963 and contact numbers for out of hours”

Response:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. There are presently no pinfolds maintained by government.

Section 2 of the Pinfolds Act 1963 states:

1. Department to establish and maintain Government Pinfolds

(1) The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (in this Act referred to as ‘the Department’) shall from time to time arrange —

(a) for the establishment and maintenance, in each of the four Petty Sessions districts, of a convenient and suitable place or places for the impoundment of animals, such places to be called Government Pinfolds and to be used in substitution for the parish pinfolds; and

(b) for the safe keeping and maintenance of animals which may be impounded in any Government Pinfold.

As you can see, there is no absolute requirement for the Department to maintain pinfolds at all times. The introduction and improvement of animal traceability procedures since the 1980s
Freedom of Information
Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate, Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road,
St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 685854 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im
www.gov.im

Quoting Ref: IM114106I Your Ref:

Page 2 of 2

means that the use of pinfolds to return animals to their owners is outdated and no longer necessary.

If animals are found to be straying on the highway or land where they do not belong please feel free to call the Department during working hours and our officers will do their best to inform the keeper. If the animals are straying in a way likely to be dangerous outside of office hours you should call the police.

Your right to request a review If you are unhappy with this response to your Freedom of Information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post to the sender of this letter at the address above. An electronic version of the relevant complaint form can be found by going to our website at www.gov.im/foireview. If you would like a paper version of the complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact us and we will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1 Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act; or 2 Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your rights to review is on the Information Commissioner’s website at: https://www.inforights.im/
If anything is unclear, or if you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found: https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information

Yours sincerely