And this time it is nothing to do with me.
Two like-minded citizens currently have Freedom of Information Requests languishing with the Home Office. One has been refused and is undergoing an appeal, the other they are considering whether to confirm or deny that they have the information requested. Don’t you like that one? Considering whether to confirm or deny. Well you just know that they have the information then don’t you.
What is this oh so delicate request I hear you ask. Well they are very similar requests, identical in nature but asking very slightly different questions, but they both relate to Home Office funding of TV programmes.
The most recent one says this;
I believe in 2008, the Home Office paid £400,000 to fund the series
UK Border Force for Sky television.
Please supply under the provision of the FOIA 2000:
1) Detail all instances available since the initial funding of the
UK Border Force series of any television programmes funded by The
Home Office.
a) How much money
b) The date the funds were paid
c) the series / programme / film it was funding
d) the job role of the individual who authorised the funding
e) the reasoning behind the funding, and how the Home Office
justified the use of taxpayer money.
This is the request that is currently under consideration, and there is another by someone else that has already been refused.
The grounds for Refusing the Request? The grounds for considering whether to confirm or deny?
“We are considering whether to confirm or deny we hold the information you have requested under the exemptions at section 24(National Security), section 38 (Health and safety), and section 43 (Commercial interests). These are qualified exemptions and to consider the public interest test fully we need to extend the 20 working day response period.”
National Security? Health And Safety?
They really are having a laugh at the Public’s expense.
I know what my course of action would be if they were my requests.
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