Purpose of trip to Switzerland or Austria & costs

Summary

The Department of Infrastructure disclosed the purpose of a recent trip to Switzerland or Austria to assess tram safety systems for the Snaefell Mountain Railway but withheld cost details as they were not yet held in the accounting system.

Key Facts

• The trip involved the Director, a traction engineer, and a specialist railway safety engineer.
• The purpose was to visit manufacturers and designers of modern trams operating on a similar gauge to those on the Isle of Man.
• The team aimed to assess safety systems and discuss adapting them for the Snaefell Mountain Railway.
• Cost information was not provided because the trip occurred within the last week and expenses had not been submitted.
• The request was processed under the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

Data Disclosed

• 2017-12-06
• 2017-12-07
• IM112865i
• 355965
• 2 pages
• 1 document
• last week

Exemptions Cited

• Section 11(3) practical refusal reason (a) - information not held or cannot be found

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

FOI Reference No: IM112865i Request under The Freedom of Information Act 2015 (“The Act”)

Thank you for your on-line request dated 6th December 2017

Your request (clarification in blue italics)(sic)

What purpose was the trip to switzerland and or austria and the cost? , i only have Mr Longworth and others to Sitzwerland, only very recentyl

Response to your request

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested; the reason and statutory exemption sections are shown as part of the corresponding answer below.

The reason for the travel was so that the Director, a traction engineer and a specialist railway safety engineer could visit the manufacturers and designers of modern trams operating to a similar gauge to those on the Isle of Man, assess the safety systems installed on those trams and discuss to the viability of adapting these systems for possible use on the Snaefell Mountain Railway. With regards to the cost of the trip, we are unable at this moment in time to provide them as we do not hold them.

Under sections 11(3) practical refusal reason (a) of the Act, “the public authority does not hold or cannot… find the information that the applicant has requested”

As the trip only occurred in the last week, it is too early for the expenses to be submitted and entered on to the accounting system.

Your right to request a review

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Infrastructure, Sea Terminal Buildings, Douglas, IM1 2RF. An electronic version and paper version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at www.gov.im/foireview

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Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Response Team