Freedom of Information Requests Report(2011 to 2014)

Contents

Executive summary..................................................................................................................1Number of FOI requests received and responded to on time..................................................2

Quality of responses................................................................................................................2Do we provide all the information requested?..........................................................................3

Which exemptions are applied?...............................................................................................3Who are the requests from?.....................................................................................................4

Subjects requested..................................................................................................................4Estimated cost of FOI requests................................................................................................5

Appendix A – FOI response timescales chart..........................................................................6Appendix B – All 2014 requests with short description............................................................7

Executive summary

The increase in FOI requests between 2013 (179) and 2014 (198) was much less than the significant surge of the previous year.

Of the 198 requests received in 2014, only one response did not meet its statutory response deadline.

Journalists continue to be the main type of requester which we can identify (24% of requests). However, 39% of requests were from individuals with no identifiable association.

The most popular subject areas were finance, teaching/assessment and human resources.

An Information Compliance Officer in post helps us to correctly apply the exemptions to releasing information. The use of these exemptions has increased by 58%.

Please note

For simplicity, all requests in this report are referred to as FOI requests (this includes the 1 request we received under EIR).

Data Protection requests are not included (we received 11 Subject Access Requests in 2014).

The years referred to are calendar years.

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Number of FOI requests received and responded to on time

In 2014 we received 19 more requests than in 2013 which equates to an 11% increase. This is a much smaller than the increase this time last year (74% increase).

CalendarYear

Total requests

Requestson time

%on time

2011 121 89 74%2012 103 79 77%2013 179 162 91%2014 198 197 99%

Please see graph in Appendix A for a graph showing the breakdown by month

2014 results show an excellent rate of requests responded to on time (typically 20 working days from date of the request). 3 factors continue to have had a positive impact on our response times:

Information Compliance Officer in post (Alan Martin). Staff providing the information requested by the Compliance Officer in a timely fashion. Prompt senior approval from David Nightingale and Jayne Hornsby.

The ICO may contact authorities if it appears that less than 85% of requests are receiving a response within the appropriate timescales.

Quality of responses

All requesters have the right to request an internal review of their response and they have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner if still unsatisfied.

In 2014 we started monitoring how many internal reviews take place. 4 requests underwent an internal review all of which resulting in our original decisions being upheld.

2 requesters complained to the ICO after the internal review. One complaint was withdrawn and the other resulted in an ICO decision as follows.

ICO decision (case FS50506705)The complainant has requested from the University of Kent (the University) information relating to the services provided by the Kent Law Clinic (KLC). The University has claimed that any relevant information in the possession of the KLC would not be held by the University for the purposes of FOIA or the EIR. The Commissioner disagrees and has decided that the information would be retained for the KLC’s, and equally the University’s, own purposes. The Commissioner therefore requires the University to consider the request under the appropriate access-regime, ie FOIA or the EIR, and issue an appropriate response.

The University’s appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal was dismissed (Appeal No.:EA/2014/0102). We have therefore gone back to the advice from the ICO and have considered the request under the access-regimes and provided a new response to the requester.

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Do we provide all the information requested?

The overall number of requests where we have provided some or all of the information has reduced. This is possibly due to 2014 being the first full calendar year of having an Information Compliance Officer in post. In practice this means an improved knowledge of the FOI exemptions and the correct application of them.

Disclosure result 2013 Count

Info provide

d2014

CountInfo

provided

Disclosed in full 122163

71152Partially withheld due to an exemption 32 53

Information supplied in part where held 9 28Request refused due to information not being held 8 22

Fully withheld due to an exemption(s) 6 16Clarification sought but not received 2 7Withheld due to a fee being charged but not received 0 1

Total 179 198

Which exemptions are applied?

It is not appropriate for all information to be made public. The FOI Act contains 24 exemptions to the right of access. In 2014, the number of exemptions applied by Kent has increased by over 50%. The largest rises have been in:

The application of the £450 cost limit (section 12) Directing requesters to information online (section 21) Withholding personal information (section 40)

Exemption applied 2013Count

2014Count

s12. Exemption where cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit 13 36s21. Information reasonably accessible to the applicant by other means 3 10s22. Information intended for future publication 1 2s23. Information supplied by or relating to security bodies 1s24. The national security exemption 1s30. Investigations 1s31. Law enforcement 3 2s38. Health and safety 2s39. Environmental information 1s40. Personal information 15 23s41. Information provided in confidence 2 3s42. Legal professional privilege 1 3s43. Commercial interests 8 8Grand Total 51 88

Note: a single request may have more than one exemption applied to it.

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Who are the requests from?

The majority of requests are from ‘Members of the public’ - This category includes requests where we are unable to identify the type of requester e.g. a journalist using a personal e-mail address.

Type of requester 2013Count

2014Count

Members of the public 64 78Journalists 41 48Commercial organisations 18 20Staff, researchers, students from other institutions 10 19Student journalist New 11Campaigning groups 4 11Own students 30 7Trade unions 2 3MPs/political parties 1Other 7Other stakeholders (e.g. potential students or their parents) 2Information not recorded 1

Total 179 198

Subjects requested

The following subject categories are provided by JISC. Financial information remains the most popular subject. Please see Appendix B for a short description of every request received in 2014.

Subject 2013Count

2014Count

Financial information 36 35Teaching and assessment 21 32HR and staff issues 20 25Student issues and numbers 19 19Procurement issues 9 18Estates and buildings 24 16IT provision and use 27 14Management and administration of the institution 5 11Admissions 4 10Other research 7 9Animal research 3 5Commercial activities 1 4Other 2Dissertations and theses 1

Total 179 198

‘Financial information’ includes expenses IT contracts are under ‘IT provision’ not ‘Procurement issues’

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Estimated cost of FOI requests

In 2013, JISC have estimated that it costs an average of £144.93 per request1.

Using the JISC figure, the cost of FOI requests at Kent over the last 4 years was as follows:

CalendarYear

Total requests

JISCEst. Cost

2011 121 £17,5372012 103 £14,9282013 179 £25,9422014 198 £28,696

Total 601 £87,103

This only represents staff time (with 22% oncosts) and not the cost of specialist advice.

Specialist advice would include advice received from the University solicitors. This would usually be included in our retainer agreement or in exceptional circumstances we may seek further advice for more complex cases. The cost of legal advice is not included here as this information may waiver our legal professional privilege. This expenditure is approved by a member of the Executive Group.

1 http://www.jisc.ac.uk/blog/ever-wondered-how-much-freedom-of-information-costs-the-sector-04-mar-2013

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Appendix A – FOI response timescales chart

Jan

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2011 2012 2013 2014

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FOI requests received - 01 Jan 2011 to 2014

Completed lateCompleted on time% on timeICO 85% benchmark

Num

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Appendix B – All 2014 requests with short description

Subject area (FOI requests only) Short description TotalAdmissions Applicants with criminal convictions 1

International agents 1International Certificate of Christian Education 1

International student recruitment agents 1Number of International Students 1Student Contract 1Thailand agents 1Thailand agent's details 1Thailand agent's details - Part II 1Extra 30000 undergraduate places 1

Admissions Total 10Animal research Animal experiment 1

Animal Protection Agency communications 1

Animal testing 1Animals used in scientific experiments 1Use of animals in research 1

Animal research Total 5Commercial activities Campuslife website 1

Effects of Caffeine on students 1Telephony 1Veolia - Eden Springs - G4 - Hewlett Packard 1

Commercial activities Total 4Estates and buildings Accommodation costs 1

Air conditioning certification 1Art expenditure 1Building maintenance 1CCTV cost, location & impact assessments 1

Covert CCTV usage 1Electrical expenditure 1Halls of residence fire incidents 1Lost or stolen items from Library 1Lost Property 1Parking enforcement 1People and Planet survey 1Private school students in halls 1Security contracts 1Telephone conference call services 1Incidents of sexual assault and rape 1

Estates and buildings Total 16Financial information Amount paid to publishers 2

Confederation of British Industry CBI spend 1

Confederation of British Industry spend 1Cost of 50th anniversary celebrations 2Donations 1

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Subject area (FOI requests only) Short description TotalElsevier Journals 1Executive group expenses 1Extent of outsourcing 1Finance contacts and software 1Financial accounting software system 1Financial statements 1Gifts and hospitality 1Going Global conference Miami 1HEFCE impact on funding 1Insurance Contracts 1Israeli academic institutions 1Kent Law Clinic KLC costs 1Library fines 1Non-tuition fee debt 1Payroll, HR, Finance & Procurement data 1School budgets 1Student loans 1Student Union funding 1Subsidising student employment opportunities 1

Travel & subsistence 1University investments 1VC and pro VC trips abroad 1VC pay & expenses. Remuneration Committee 1

Vice-Chancellor remuneration 1Vice-Chancellor retirement payments 1Vice-Chancellor salary and expenses 1Cost of Kent Wheel 2

Financial information Total 35HR and staff issues Academic salaries 1

Compromise agreements at schools 1Confidentiality agreements 1Employee pay & salaries 1Financial Settlements 1Gender and count of academics 1Gender segregation 1Relationships between staff and students 1Remuneration committee minutes 1Remuneration minutes 1Senior pay & remuneration 1Senior pay & remuneration minutes 1Severance payments 1Sickness days 1Staff and student unacceptable behaviour 1Staff benefits 1Staff disciplinary action 1Staff earning over £100K 1Staff member correspondence 1Staff numbers & contract info 1Staff student relationships 1Universities UK pension consultation 2

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Subject area (FOI requests only) Short description TotalUniversity tutors 1Zero-hour contracts 1

HR and staff issues Total 25IT provision and use Access to external websites 1

Blocked websites 1External & third party hosting contracts 1ICT organisational structure 1Internet usage 1IT disposal contract 1IT hardware contracts 1IT organisation chart & system list 1IT outsourcing 1IT server contracts 1Senior IT staff contact details 1Server hardware spend 1Software company audits 1University IP addresses 1

IT provision and use Total 14Management and administration of the institution 50th Anniversary project plan 1

Free Speech University Rankings 1ICO decision notice & information tribunal 1Police information requests 1Radicalisation on campus 1Science faculty injuries & illnesses 1Senor Information Risk Owner 1Tier 4 sponsor licence 1University joint ventures and partnerships 1Visits from terror groups 1Zurich insurance policy 1

Management and administration of the institution Total 11Other research Academics in the REF 1

British International Studies Association (BISA). 1

Infectious diseases during lab work 1RCUK policy on open access 1REF expenditure 1REF professors 1Research misconduct 2Salt intake correspondence 1

Other research Total 9Procurement issues Electric vehicles 1

E-procurement 1First Response Security 1G4S contract 1Garment suppliers 1Halal meat suppliers 1Insurance Contracts 1Keynes construction contractors 1Legal, procurement and dispute resolution services 1

Library books 1

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Subject area (FOI requests only) Short description TotalMobile Phone contracts 1Payments to contractors 1Printer contract 2Prospectus & website design tenders 1Templeman Library Extension contract 2Washroom hygiene services contracts 1

Procurement issues Total 18Student issues and numbers Alcoholics anonymous referrals 1

Deaths on campus 1Drop out rates in term 1 1Dyslexia student numbers & expenditure 1Dyslexia Support 1Eastern European undergraduates 1Extensions 1Forensic Science graduates in jobs 1Hardship and Access to Learning Funds 1Hungarian students 1International student leavers 1Student counselling 1Student deaths 2Student protests 1Students dropped out & reasons why 1Students enrolled by school 1Unemployment & drop outs 1Vietnamese students 1

Student issues and numbers Total 19Teaching and assessment Academic appeals & legal claims 1

Academic misconduct 1Actuary & Insurance course details 2Appeals against academic decisions 1Average module marks 1Cheating and misconduct 1Cheating in exams and coursework 2Computing course numbers 1Engineering Grades by Gender 1Kent Law Clinic 1Law degrees 1LLB degree (Law) awards 1LLB programme marks 1LLB subjects 1Medical law & ethics courses 1New undergraduate course modules 1Nursing students 1Plagiarism 2Promotions to professorships 1Qualifications of international students 1Research misconduct 1Short Courses and CPD 1Student appeals against marks 1Student disciplinary action 1Student discipline 1Student streaming 1

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Subject area (FOI requests only) Short description TotalViva voce examinations 1Wickhambreaux village green 2

Teaching and assessment Total 32Grand Total 198

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