Public Notice regarding co location of St Thomas with Scoill Vallajeelt.

Summary

A Freedom of Information request sought details on objections to the co-location of St Thomas and Scoill Vallajeelt schools. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture initially reported three letters and 403 signatures, but later corrected this to four letters and 413 signatures, noting that two letters were rejected for having insufficient signatures.

Key Facts

• The request concerned objections to the co-location of St Thomas and Scoill Vallajeelt schools following a public notice dated 10 November 2017.
• The Department initially stated three letters of objection were received, later correcting this to four letters.
• A total of 413 signatures were received across the valid and invalid letters.
• Two letters were rejected because they each contained only one signature, failing the requirement of 10 or more persons.
• The objection period expired on 13 February 2018.

Data Disclosed

• 10 November 2017
• 13 February 2018
• 3 letters
• 4 letters
• 403 signatures
• 413 signatures
• 2 letters rejected
• 1 signature per rejected letter
• 10 or more persons
• Registration Of Electors Act 2006
• Education Act 2001
• Schedule 2
• Section 3
• IM121057I

Original Request

Reference to Public Notice regarding co location of St Thomas with Scoill Vallajeelt. Following Public notice dated 10 November 2017 please confirm the following: 1. How many letters of objection were received? 2. How many signatures in total were received? 3. Where any of the letters of objection rejected, if so why? 4. If any letters were rejected, how many letters and how many signatures did that account for?

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

By Email

19 February 2018

Dear

Re: Freedom of Information Request – Reference Number IM121057I

Your Request:-

“Reference to Public Notice regarding co location of St Thomas with Scoill Vallajeelt.

Following Public notice dated 10 November 2017 please confirm the following:

1. How many letters of objection were received?

2. How many signatures in total were received?

3. Where any of the letters of objection rejected, if so why?

4. If any letters were rejected, how many letters and how many signatures did that account for?”

Department Response:-

The Department is able to provide you with the following information:

1. Three letters of objection were received.

2. A total of 403 signatures were received.

3. Two letters of objection were rejected. This was due to both of the letters only containing one signature each. The Public Notice of proposed co-location of schools stated ‘any 10 or more persons resident in the island who are for the time being registered in a register of electors maintained under the Registration Of Electors Act 2006; may within 3 months after 13th November 2017 submit objections in writing to the proposals to the department’.

4. The answer to this question has been detailed in the answer to question 3.

For information, the period for objections under the Public Notice expired on 13 February 2018.
The Department will shortly consider the contents of the letter correctly submitted under the Department of Education Sport and Culture

Rheynn Ynsee, Spoyrt as Cultoor Chief Executive Officer Ronald Barr

Department of Education, Sport and Culture Hamilton House Peel Road Douglas IM1 5EZ Direct Dial No: Website: www.gov.im/dec Email:

By Email

20 February 2018

Dear

Re: Freedom of Information Request – Reference Number IM121057I

I write further to our recent response to your FoI request, as per the reference number as above. Following publication of the original response, which was based on confirmed information known to us at that time, the team dealing with your freedom of information request has since been made aware of another letter of objection, of the proposed co-location of schools. The objection letter was received prior to the expiry date listed within the public notice.

We apologise for this omission and the updated information is detailed below.

Your Request:-

“Reference to Public Notice regarding co location of St Thomas with Scoill Vallajeelt.

Following Public notice dated 10 November 2017 please confirm the following:

1. How many letters of objection were received?

2. How many signatures in total were received?

3. Where any of the letters of objection rejected, if so why?

4. If any letters were rejected, how many letters and how many signatures did that account for?”

Revised Department Response:-

The Department is able to provide you with the following information:

1. Four letters of objection were received.

2. A total of 413 signatures were received.

3. Two letters of objection were rejected. This was due to both of the letters only containing one signature each. The Public Notice of proposed co-location of schools Department of Education Sport and Culture

Rheynn Ynsee, Spoyrt as Cultoor Chief Executive Officer Ronald Barr

Department of Education, Sport and Culture Hamilton House Peel Road Douglas IM1 5EZ Direct Dial No:

Website: www.gov.im/dec Email:

stated ‘any 10 or more persons resident in the island who are for the time being registered in a register of electors maintained under the Registration Of Electors Act 2006; may within 3 months after 13th November 2017 submit objections in writing to the proposals to the department’.

1. The answer to this question has been detailed in the answer to question 3.

For information, the period for objections under the Public Notice expired on 13 February 2018.
The Department will shortly consider the contents of the letters correctly submitted under the provisions of Schedule 2 of the Education Act 2001 (the Act) to determine whether to make an order under Section 3 of the Act.

The information provided within this response letter will also be published on the Government website in due course should you wish to revisit the information.

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 Review/Complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post to:

Mr Andrew Shipley, Legal and Administration Manager, Hamilton House, Peel Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 5EZ.

An electronic version of our Review/Complaint form can be found by going to https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/

Your Review/Complaint 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 conducted.

Appeal Process

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/contact-us/

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

Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi

Yours sincerely