The funding to the meat plant in relation to animal numbers

Summary

The requester asked for monthly government funding per livestock unit for the Isle of Man meat plant from September 2013 to August 2018. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture refused the request, stating that compiling the data would constitute substantial work not required under the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

Key Facts

• The request was received on 26 October 2018 and closed on 7 November 2018.
• The Department holds animal numbers for traceability and disease control but does not analyze them in the requested format.
• Calculating the funding per livestock unit over the five-year period was deemed 'substantial compilation or collation'.
• The Department directed the requester to existing published annual figures and previous FOI responses regarding meat plant finances.
• The request was refused under Section 8(3) and Section 20(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

Data Disclosed

• September 2013
• August 2018
• 26 October 2018
• 7 November 2018
• 2006-2016
• Section 8(3)
• Section 20(2)
• Freedom of Information Act 2015

Exemptions Cited

• Section 8(3) - Substantial compilation or collation
• Section 20(2) - Information reasonably accessible

Original Request

Following on from Tim Baker MHK's remarks on Manx Radio Please could you supply the amount of government funding to the meat plant per livestock units on a monthly basis for the period of September 2013 to end August 2018. When the funding has been given over a period of months then a equal split per month compared against the livestock units processed each month.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

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

Our ref: 625866 7 November 2018

Dear ###

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

We write further to your request which was received on 26 October 2018 and which states:

"Following on from Tim Baker MHK's remarks on Manx Radio Please could you supply the amount of government funding to the meat plant per livestock units on a monthly basis for the period of September 2013 to end August 2018. When the funding has been given over a period of months then a equal split per month compared against the livestock units processed each month." Response to your request While our aim is to provide information wherever possible, in this instance the information requested is not held by the Department in a way that makes it readily accessible. Animal numbers and locations are collected for reasons of traceability and disease control. While they could be extracted from the databases, to then carry out calculations for cattle and sheep and provide them in a way that answers your request for the five year period would constitute “substantial compilation or collation”. This is work the Department is not required to do under the Freedom of Information Act.
Section 8(3) states: (c) Nothing in this Act requires a public authority to undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds. The throughput figures of livestock at the Meat Plant are held by the Department but are not analysed or published in a way that would answer your question.

Further information The Annual Figures comparing animals received by IOM Meats with animals exported between 2006-2016 have been published and can be viewed here: https://www.gov.im/media/1355055/meat-plant-presentation-9th-february-2017.pdf The funding for the Meat Plant has previously been requested as part of a Freedom of Information request – Meat Plant Finances which can be found here: https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/search The Department does, approximately annually, summarise and publish data relating to the Meat Plant and livestock sector generally. This is usually published online here: https://www.gov.im/categories/business-and-industries/agriculture/fat-stock-producers- information/ As the above information is “reasonably accessible” to you, the Department, under section 20(2), is not obliged to also release it directly to you in response to a request. You may access it using the above links. 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 https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/access-to-government- information/freedom-of-information-complaint/. 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/
Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact the FOI Co-ordinator.

Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found: https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/access-to-government- information/#Freedom_of_Information_Act_2015 I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely ###