cc: "Mcgarvie Michael Mr \(ACAD\)" <M.Mcgarvie@uea.ac.uk>, "Colam Jonathan Mr \(ISD\)" <J.Colam@uea.ac.uk>
date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:04:55 +0100
from: "Palmer Dave Mr \(LIB\)" <David.Palmer@uea.ac.uk>
subject: ICO Investigation - Holland request (FOI_089-23)
to: "Osborn Timothy Dr \(ENV\)" <T.Osborn@uea.ac.uk>, "Jones Philip Prof \(ENV\)" <P.Jones@uea.ac.uk>

   Tim/Phil,
   One of the tasks I have is making a case under FOIA for our claim that the section 12
   'appropriate limit' of 16 person hours to collect and review initially the requested
   information would be exceeded.

   It would be helpful if you could confirm some things that discussed in this connection;
   namely, the date range of the information requested (i.e.. the length of involvement in the
   IPCC process), and some idea of the volume of communications.  Our sample set of 17
   documents covers Nov 2004 to July 2006 with 11 documents coming from Jan 2005 alone.

   This information may also prove useful to a claim under EIR that the request is 'manifestly
   unreasonable' where the DEFRA guidance notes that such request '...could include requests
   for information that place a substantial and unreasonable burden on the resources of a
   public authority."  It could cover cases in which extensive searching of databases or file
   is necessary or extensive redaction is required.  Indeed one of the factors explicitly
   mentioned is "...whether the work involved would require an unreasonable diversion of
   resource the provision of the public services for witch the publish authority is
   mandated"..   Additionally, the availability of other publicly available information is a
   factor where the request is for the same information in a different format


   Sorry - didn't mean to get into my EIR argument there - however, information on effect of
   locating this information and the extent of the information would be useful.

   Thanks!

   Cheers, Dave

   ____________________________
   David Palmer
   Information Policy & Compliance Manager
   University of East Anglia
   Norwich, England
   NR4 7TJ

   Information Services
   Tel: +44 (0)1603 593523
   Fax: +44 (0)1603 591010
