Whats wrong with fishing expeditions? If docs can be released under FoI, they should really be freely available already... A department is (IMV) already at fault if they have to be asked for documents...
On 22 December 2011 20:01, Michael Bimmler <[email protected]> wrote: > On Thu, Dec 22, 2011 at 8:56 PM, Mark Goodge <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> I predict that it will be refused, on DPA and/or cost grounds. The >> sender/recipient lines will identify individuals. As a general rule, emails >> released under FOI either are purely internal, or have identifiers of >> external senders/recipients redacted. The content of several individual >> emails will themselves be subject to DPA if they refer to identifiable >> individuals. And redacting a lot of emails will certainly be somthing that >> the cost can be applied to. >> >> On a more general note, I think this kind of fishing expedition is precisely >> the sort of thing that brings FOI into disrepute and increases the >> probability of legislative changes to further restrict its scope. > > very much agree with your general point on the undesirability of > fishing expeditions etc. > > Out of curiosity though: if I'm not completely mistaken, costs can > only be applied to retrieving and collating information, but not to > considering exemptions and applying redactions. In that case I can't > quite see how they could refuse on cost grounds. (DPA still holds > though) > Am I wrong on this? (Arguably it would be desirable to consider the > cost of redactions in calculating the cost for the cost threshold > exemption, but I thought they weren't included at present) > > Thoughts? > > Michael > > _______________________________________________ > developers-public mailing list > [email protected] > https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public > > Unsubscribe: > https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/options/developers-public/paul%40idltd.com _______________________________________________ developers-public mailing list [email protected] https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public Unsubscribe: https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/options/developers-public/archive%40mail-archive.com
