Transparency expectations for Department for Enterprise's Agencies

Summary

The requester asked for confirmation that four specific arms-length agencies would be subject to the same transparency levels and timescales as the Department for Enterprise under the Freedom of Information Act. The Department responded by clarifying that requests for information regarding these agencies must be submitted directly to the Department for Enterprise under the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

Key Facts

• The request concerned four agencies: Business Isle of Man, Digital Isle of Man, Finance Isle of Man, and Visit Isle of Man.
• Information requests for these agencies must be made to the Department for Enterprise.
• The requests must be submitted under the Freedom of Information Act 2015.
• The Department for Enterprise confirmed the process but did not explicitly confirm identical timescales in the text provided.
• The requester was informed of their right to an internal review and subsequent appeal to the Information Commissioner.

Data Disclosed

• 2018-04-16
• 2018-05-31
• 14 May 2018
• 433734
• Freedom of Information Act 2015
• Part 2

Original Request

Please confirm that each arms length agency (in alphabetical order: business isle of man, digital isle of man, finance isle of man and visit isle of man) will be subject to the same level of transparency as the department for enterprise via the freedom of information request process in the same timescale.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Minister Laurence Skelly MHK Freedom of Information Team 1st Floor St George’s Court Upper Church Street, Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1EX Direct Dial No: (01624) 686733 Reception (01624) 686400
www.gov.im/dfe
Email: FOI.ded@gov.im Department for Enterprise • 1st Floor, St George’s Court • Upper Church Street • Douglas • Isle of Man • IM1 1EX

Our ref: 433734 14 May 2018

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 16 April 2018 and which states:

"please confirm that each arms length agency (in alphabetical order: business isle of man, digital isle of man, finance isle of man and visit isle of man) will be subject to the same level of transparency as the department for enterprise via the freedom of information request process in the same timescale"

In response to your request, any information requested of the Agencies listed above should be made to the Department for Enterprise, submitted under the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

Please quote the reference number 433734 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.

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

Freedom of Information Team

Department for Enterprise