Heather Brooke
[
Ivan Pocock
Department for Transport
Information Rights Unit
Zone D/04
Ashdown House
Sedlescombe Rd North
St Leonards on Sea
East Sussex
TN37 7GA
Web Site:
Our Ref: P0005554
5 August 2009
Freedom of Information Request P0005554
Dear Ms Brooke,
I am writing regarding your request for information, which I received on 28th July 2009. In that request, you asked us for:
“Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I seek the following information about the Department's staffing and funding for publicity and communications. I would like this information broken down annually for the past three years up to the time this requestis answered. The years may be financial or calendar, whichever is convenient, but please keep them consistent.
2. The number of dedicated Freedom of Information officers
(full-time equivalent).
4. Total staffing cost of dedicated Freedom of Information staff.
6. Total spending on Freedom of Information.”
As I explained in my previous letter to you, questions 1, 3, 5 and 7 are being dealt with separately by our Communications Directorate. This letter relates only to questions 2, 4 and 6.
We are aiming to provide you with information in relation to the last three full financial years, that is, 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09 and to include information in relation to our seven executive agencies as well as the central department. Before we proceed with your request I need to obtain some clarification of the information you wish to receive.
In case you find it useful I enclose a link to a recent and relevant FOI response which is available on our website FOI disclosure log. This only relates to financial year 2007/08 but we may be able to produce something similar in relation to your request for financial years 2006/07 and 2008/09.
In relation to question 4 can you please clarify what you mean by “total staffing costs”. We do not hold detailed staffing cost figures which include salaries, pension costs, national insurance costs but we should be able to provide you with the salary scalesfor any grades which we identify when researching question 2 (see Annex B to the FOI response in the link above). Would this be acceptable to you?
In relation to question 6 can you please clarify what you mean by “total spending on Freedom of Information”.What would you expect to be included in the total spend figure? We do not hold a central figure given the way in which we deal with FOI requests across the central Department and our executive agencies (see our previous FOI response in the link above).
Please note that if I do not receive appropriate clarification of your information requirements within three months from the date of this letter, then I will consider your request closed.
If you wish to discuss any of the above, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
Yours sincerely,
Ivan Pocock