Unpublished FOI requests

Summary

The requester asked for monthly statistics on FOI requests received, refused, answered, and published by the Department of Health and Social Care over the last 12 months. The authority provided aggregate totals for the period but refused to break down the data by month, citing that they are not obliged to create information.

Key Facts

• The Department of Health and Social Care received 103 FOI requests in the 12 months between 12 April 2017 and 12 April 2018.
• Of the 103 requests, 7 were withdrawn and 96 were responded to.
• The authority declined to provide monthly breakdowns as they do not hold the information in that format.
• The response cites Section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 regarding the obligation not to create information.
• The authority directed the requester to a public website for information already reasonably accessible under Section 20.

Data Disclosed

• 103
• 7
• 96
• 12 April 2017
• 12 April 2018
• 27 March 2018
• 12 April 2018
• 395238

Exemptions Cited

• Section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (not obliged to create information)
• Section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (information already reasonably accessible)

Original Request

For each of the last 12 months, how many Freedom of Information requests have been: (a) received (b) refused (c) answered (d) published on the government website

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch Freedom of Information Team DHSC Digital Cronk Coar Strang IM4 4RJ

(01624) 642621 dhsc@foi.gov.im Website: www.gov.im/dhsc

Our ref: 395238 12 April 2018

Dear ###

This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

We write further to your request which was received on 27 March 2018 and which states:

"For each of the last 12 months, how many Freedom of Information requests have been: (a) received (b) refused (c) answered (d) published on the government website"

Our response to your request is as follows: I have detailed below the information. Department of Health and Social Care do not hold the information that you requested broken down by month and have provided the information that is held, under section 8(3) of the Act we are not obliged to create information. (a) received Department of Health and Social Care has received 103 in the last 12 months (between 12 April 2017 and 12 April 2018) (b) refused & (c) answered Of the 103 FOI requests received in the last 12 months (between 12 April 2017 and 12 April 2018), 7 were withdrawn and 96 were responded to. The response outcomes are detailed below:

(d) Published on the government website While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. All of the information that you have requested is available from https://services.gov.im/freedomof-information/search

Please quote the reference number 395238 in any future communications.

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 us at
Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch Freedom of Information Team DHSC Digital Cronk Coar

Strang IM4 4RJ

(01624) 642621 dhsc@foi.gov.im Website: www.gov.im/dhsc

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I 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 2015; 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 right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. 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.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely