UK FOIA requests - Spy Blog

The request to the House of Commons:

Freedom of Information Officer House of Commons Department of Finance and Administration London SW1P 3JA foicommons@parliament.uk

Saturday 12th May 2007

Freedom of Information Act 2000 request

Dear Sirs,

Please disclose and publish the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:

2) Details of any correspondence, emails, minutes of meetings etc. between the House of Commons authorities e.g. the House of Commons Commission or the The Speaker's Office

and

the House of Lords authorities, the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police Service, Westminster Council or other public bodies, regarding the Designation of the Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House, under Section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, according to

Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 930

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Sites under Section 128) Order 2007

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/20070930.htm

I specifically do NOT want any details of anything to do with the Private areas of the Palace of Westminster or Portcullis House.

I DO want information with respect to the PUBLIC areas, such as Westminster Hall, the Central Lobby, the Public Galleries of the Commons Chamber and the Lord's Chamber and the Committee Rooms and the public entrances to the main Palace of Westminster and to Portcullis House.

As you can see from the map:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/07093008.gif

these Public areas all fall within the Designated Site boundary, and are NOT specifically excluded by the wording of the Statutory Instrument, as are, for example, Westminster Tube Station and other commercial premises adjacent to Portcullis House on the other side of Bridge Street from the main Palace of Westminster building.

------------------------------------------------------

Background links:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/20070930.htm

Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 930

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Sites under Section 128) Order 2007

Made 20th March 2007
Laid before Parliament 23rd March 2007
Coming into force 1st June 2007

(9) So much of the site including the Palace of Westminster, London, SW1A as is within the dotted line that is marked on the map in Schedule 8 (the Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House site) subject to the following:

(a) the dotted line that runs across Bridge Street only includes within the site the underground link that runs underneath Bridge Street;

(b) the site does not include the following:

(i) Westminster London Underground Station and the entrance to that station, and

(ii) any commercial premises, which fall within the dotted line, to which the public has unrestricted access.

[...]

SCHEDULE 8
Article 2(9)

The Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House Site

Click here to view image 8 of 11

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/07093008.gif

-------------------------------------------------------

Please provide the information ideally by publishing it on your public world wide website, or alternatively by email.

Ideally this should *NOT* be in the form of a "copy and paste" locked Adobe .pdf file, or similar, attachment.

In the unlikely event that this information is not already available in a standard electronic format, then please explain the reasons why, when you provide the information in another format.

If you are proposing to make a charge for providing the information requested, please provide full details in advance, together with an explanation of any proposed charge

If you decide to withhold any of the information requested you should clearly explain why you have done so in your response, by reference to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 legislation.

If your decision to withhold is based upon an evaluation of the public interest, then you should clearly explain which public interests you have considered, and why you have decided that the public interest in maintaining the exception(s) outweighs the public interest in releasing the information.

I look forward to receiving the information requested as soon as possible, and in any event within 20 working days of receipt of
this email. i.e. by Monday 11th June 2007

Yours Sincerely

[name and address]

Similarly for the House of Lords:

House of Lords Information Office, London SW1A 0PW. hlinfo@parliament.uk

Saturday 12th May 2007

Freedom of Information Act 2000 request

Dear Sirs,

Please disclose and publish the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:

2) Details of any correspondence, emails, minutes of meetings etc. between the House of Lords authorities e.g. The Speaker of the House of Lords or any relevant Committees

and

the House of Commons Commission, The Speaker of the Commons, the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police Service, Westminster Council or other public bodies, regarding the Designation of the Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House, under Section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, according to

Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 930

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Sites under Section 128) Order 2007

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/20070930.htm

I specifically do NOT want any details of anything to do with the Private areas of the Palace of Westminster or Portcullis House.

I DO want information with respect to the PUBLIC areas, such as Westminster Hall, the Central Lobby, the Public Galleries of the Commons Chamber and the Lord's Chamber and the Committee Rooms and the public entrances to the main Palace of Westminster and to Portcullis House.

As you can see from the map:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/07093008.gif

these Public areas all fall within the Designated Site boundary, and are NOT specifically excluded by the wording of the Statutory Instrument, as are, for example, Westminster Tube Station and other commercial premises adjacent to Portcullis House on the other side of Bridge Street from the main Palace of Westminster building.

------------------------------------------------------

Background links:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/20070930.htm

Statutory Instrument 2007 No. 930

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Sites under Section 128) Order 2007

Made 20th March 2007
Laid before Parliament 23rd March 2007
Coming into force 1st June 2007

(9) So much of the site including the Palace of Westminster, London, SW1A as is within the dotted line that is marked on the map in Schedule 8 (the Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House site) subject to the following:

(a) the dotted line that runs across Bridge Street only includes within the site the underground link that runs underneath Bridge Street;

(b) the site does not include the following:

(i) Westminster London Underground Station and the entrance to that station, and

(ii) any commercial premises, which fall within the dotted line, to which the public has unrestricted access.

[...]

SCHEDULE 8
Article 2(9)

The Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House Site

Click here to view image 8 of 11

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/07093008.gif

-------------------------------------------------------

Please provide the information ideally by publishing it on your public world wide website, or alternatively by email.

Ideally this should *NOT* be in the form of a "copy and paste" locked Adobe .pdf file, or similar, attachment.

In the unlikely event that this information is not already available in a standard electronic format, then please explain the reasons why, when you provide the information in another format.

If you are proposing to make a charge for providing the information requested, please provide full details in advance, together with an explanation of any proposed charge

If you decide to withhold any of the information requested you should clearly explain why you have done so in your response, by reference to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 legislation.

If your decision to withhold is based upon an evaluation of the public interest, then you should clearly explain which public interests you have considered, and why you have decided that the public interest in maintaining the exception(s) outweighs the public interest in releasing the information.

I look forward to receiving the information requested as soon as possible, and in any event within 20 working days of receipt of
this email. i.e. by Monday 11th June 2007

Yours Sincerely

[name and address]