17 May 2011
Derek Tickles[By e-mail to: “whatdotheyknow.com”] / Our Ref:
F0004716 / 4759 / 4792 / 4793
Your Ref:
Dear Sir/Madam
REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION
I am replying to your e-mails of 12 and 28 April and 7 and 10 May 2011 in which you asked the Department for Communities and Local Government to provide you withinformation. The full text of your requests is at Annex A.
Your requests have been considered under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000.
The Department is not obliged to comply with your requests, by virtue of section 14(1) of the FOI Act, on the grounds that the requestsare vexatious. The FOI Act does not define what is meant by a vexatious request, but the Information Commissioner has issued guidance which the Department follows and which can be found on the Commissioner’s web-site at:
The Department is committed to meeting its obligations under the FOI Act and to responding positively wherever possible to serious requests for information.
However, the general language and tone used throughout your e-mailsis in our view designed to irritate, has the effect of harassing the Department and its staff, is potentially offensive and serves to undermine any serious purpose or value that there might be in your requests.
I remind you of the Department’s letter to you of 12 April 2011 which stated that you should take that letter as notice that the Department would consider vexatious for the purposes of the FOI Act any future requests for information made in the name of “Derek Tickles” through the “whatdotheyknow” web-site or otherwise.
In view of the fact that you have, notwithstanding this, continued to make requests using the name “Derek Tickles” and which are vexatious, you should now take this letter as notice that the Department will not consider or respond to any such requests it receives in future.
As an organisation we aim to be as helpful as possible in the way we deal with requests for information under the FOI Act. If, however, you are not satisfied with the way in which your request has been handled or the outcome, you may request an internal review within two calendar months of the date of this letter. Information about the Department's review procedures and how to apply for an internal review of your case can be found on the Department's website at This also explains your right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision in the event that you remain dissatisfied following the Department's review.
Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the internal review procedure provided by this Department. The Information Commissioner‘s address is in the leaflet referred to above.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
I am copying this letter to “MySociety”, the owners of the “whatdotheyknow” website.
Yours sincerely
Martin Harding
ANNEX A1
From: Derek Tickles [mailto:
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 7:51 PM
To: FoI Requests
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Who you gonna call?
Dear Chums
A few months ago I was busily replacing the toner cartridge of a
well used and loved laserjet printer when I heard some singing
coming from a meeting room deep within Eland House. At first I was
slightly confused and could only faintly make out the familiar
tune. I hunted down the room and managed to peak a look into at the
meeting. I am fairly certain I saw Nick Sheridan-Westlake dancing
badly as he belted out the following...
If there's something strange
in your neighborhood
Who you gonna call? - Ghostbusters!
If there's something weird
and it don't look good
Who you gonna call? - Ghostbusters!
His audience sat impassive, slightly embarrassed and bored but Nick
continued with his best Ray Parker Jr impression. He then insisted
that everyone joined him another rendition and he cunningly
substituted the word 'Ghostbusters' to 'Barrierbusters'. The man is
a genius - No wonder the LGC recently awarded him 15th place in his
list of 50 local government movers and shakers. Though from Nicks
dance moves I think he is more a shaker. Actually, I am expecting
to make the top 50 next year after the lovely Emma Maier tweeter an
apology for the "huge oversight"of my exclusion.
So this meeting was the start of the venture which now is known to
the millions (or possibly handful) of users who routinely use the
DCLG's Barrier Busting website
(
Can I request the following information in these difficult economic
times?
1) How much has be spent on developing the website and how much is
being spent on maintaining, updating, moderating website.
2) Who built the website and how many person days were involved in
the development and project management,
3) Number of pageviews and unique visitors by month since launch.
I know there are rumours within DCLG that a shed load of cash has
been wasted on this website and it is attract as much traffic as
the fresh fruit aisle during Uncle Eric's weekly shop.
Yours here to save the world,
Derek
ANNEX A2
From: Derek Tickles [mailto:
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2011 6:13 PM
To: FoI Requests
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Return of the Saint
Dear Chums
As an avid follower of Uncle Eric, I look forward to his
informative updates to the House of Commons.
(
This week Uncle Eric said:
"With Easter, St George's day and the impending royal wedding,
there are great opportunities for communities across the nation to
come together and celebrate. [...] The Department flew the flag of
St George above its headquarters and I encouraged public bodies to
fly the English flag as a unifying symbol for the English nation,
to be followed by flying the Union flag come the royal wedding."
Normally when reading such pomp as this I would feel my chest
swell, a tear form in my eye and my heart quicken. As a patriot I
have for many years flown a St George Cross from the aerial of my
Rover 25 and a JD sports flag has been hung out the bathroom window
since Euro 96 at TicklesTowers. I have often contemplated a tattoo
to display my patriotic fervor but have not gone through as I am
scared of pricks, especially blunt ones.
But on reading this I was quite simply outraged, my blood quite
literally boiled. I have rarely read such blasphemy from someone
who I thought respected the church and the Lord. As every hard
working Christian family knows Holy week takes precedence over
Saints days. Hence, us real hard working Christian families will
not be celebrating St George’s day until 2nd May. I really find
DCLGs ignorance of this fact quite stunning. So please can I
request:
1. Which Senior Civil Servant, Minister or Special Adviser was
responsible for the flying of the St George Cross on the incorrect
day?
2. What action will be taken against the member of staff who made
this critical error?
3. And can you assure me that the St George Cross will be hoisted
up to proudly fly above Eland House on 2nd May and an apology to
the nation made?
Secondly, I was joyful that Uncle Eric has been encouraging all
public bodies to fly the English flag as unifying symbol of the
English nation. Can you provide information on:
1) As DCLG has responsibilities in Wales, such as fire authorities,
can you tell me how many Welsh public bodies have followed the
request from the Secretary of State and proudly flown the English
flag?
I am very upset about all of this mix up over St George’s Day and I
fear it may spoil my royal wedding. Time to go and dig out the
bunting.
Yours un-saintly,
Derek
ANNEX A3
From: Derek Tickles [mailto:
Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2011 4:57 PM
To: FoI Requests
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Some people think I’m bonkers
Dear Chums
I write firstly applaud Uncle Eric and all at DCLG in allowing me
to take part in a truly wonderful street party to celebrate the
Royal Wedding last week - wow what a day we had! There were about 6
of us for most of the day, though Mrs T did have take the twins to
a birthday party at 11am for a few hours. So it was left to me, Bob
with the dodgy knee from number 3 and his collie called Shep to get
the party started.
We sat about in the street drinking Stella and munching on a KFC
family feast bucket (one each natch). We were having so much fun we
forgot to put the tv on to watch the wedding, but we had a blinder
of a day. Really magic and the the only downer was we had to deal
with a few irate motorists and a nasty incident when an ambulance
tried to spoil our fun but we continued to exercise our right to
party. So thanks chums.
Before the wedding I was pleased to see poor Grant Shapps comments
in The Mirror.
(
I love it that poor Grant Shapps appears to be a fan of Dizzee
Rascal, more of a Scrufizzer fan myself. Mr Rascal once sang:
“I wake up everyday it’s a daydream
Everythin in my life isn’t what it seems
I wake up just to go back to sleep
I act real shallow but I’m in to deep
And all I care about is sex and violence
And a heavy bass line is my kind of silence
Everybody says I got to get a grip
But I let sanity give me the slip”
B.O.N.K.E.R.S!!!!... Indeed. Sounds like my life – apart from the
sex and violence reference. Respect MC Shappsy….. but sooo last
year really.
Mr Shapps , in his considered think piece in The Mirror, quite
rightly attacked councils for their ‘bonkers’ approach to applying
Health and Safety laws. I am so glad this he is the voice of
reason. I now hope that he will tackle other bonkers acts so that I
can continue to send one of the twins up the chimney from time to
time – or at least until they get too big and not have to justify a
little spring cleaning to some interfering social worker. Also it
would help if he could stop those busy bodies forbidding me from
fitting my own gas boiler and finally allow me next week to use the
job lot of out-of-date sausages that I picked up down the boozer at
the twins schools sports day next week. I am sure that with a
little ketchup they will be fine after a couple of minutes on the
BBQ and will really get the kids going.
Anyway time to get to the substantive request. Can you please
supply me with the following information?
1) A list of councils who DCLG are aware applied ‘bonkers health
and safety rules [to] prevent simple celebrations taking place’
2) Any evidence that councils were going, in Grant Shapps, words
‘bonkers?’ Please include the name of the council and details of
the ‘bonkers’ decision, act or intent.
Yours bonking
D:Eric
ANNEX A4
From: Derek Tickles [mailto:
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2011 2:33 PM
To: FoI Requests
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Cheque the Hols!
Dear Chums
I learnt two new amazing music-related facts over the weekend.
Firstly, the delightful Sarah Harding suggested the name Girls
Aloud to the other lovely lasses as she is a big fan of Radio 4's
Thinking Allowed -because she simply loved the pun.
The other fact is even more amazing. I was in Eland House's
(subsidised) cafe recently and I saw Great Uncle Eric tucking into
a mixed grill. He was listening to an iPod and I think I could just
make the Dizzee Rascal hit 'Holiday' leaking from his headphones.
Amazing, both poor Grant Shapps and Uncle Eric are fans of the
Rascal - I hope they have not been sharing music illegally though.
It does seem their music taste is different from Greg Clarke who
loves the pomp of attending the Last Night of the Proms - of course
only when the tickets are a gift!
The 'Holiday' tune got me thinking about trips abroad - perhaps
Uncle Eric too was reliving some fine recent memories? Everyone
knows in these difficult all-in-it-together times that work trips
come under close scrutiny, especially when Ministers are expected
to publish all expenditure. So how could a Minister possibly grab
their 'passport and bikini ' and escape that 'same old scenery 'as
D Rascal might put it, for some overseas fun? Hey, why not get a
junior member of staff to tag along and get him/her to put in the
expense claim? Surely no one would look there, would they???
Can you please supply the following information?
1. A list of locations and dates, since May 2010, where DCLG
Ministers have been on foreign trips?
2. For each trip can you provide details any other DCLG staff
member that accompanied for all or part of trip? Please supply name
and job title?
3. Please supply detailed expense claims for each attendee of the
trips? Include if possible claims that were submitted and
subsequently rejected.
I fear you may try to avoid answering this request by declaring it
vexatious, even though the questions are important and legitimate.
I therefore urge anyone else interested to 'dance wiv me' and
submit the three questions above on their own behalf. I understand
we will be surprised by what we find out.
Yours in Grime
Derek