Hon Ray Halligan requests detailed information on Freedom of Information applications processed by the Minister for Science's portfolio agencies for 2003-2005. The Minister refers to publicly available annual reports and agency websites, clarifying FOI processes.

AnsweredQoN 1480Legislative Council
Asked
4 May 2005
Portfolio
Science

QuestionView source ↗

For each Department and Agency within the Minister’s portfolio, including the Ministerial office, will the Minister provide the following information relating to the 2003-2004 financial year, and the 2004-2005 financial year to date -
(1) How many freedom of information (FOI) applications were received?
(2) What is the average time taken to process a FOI application?
(3) What is the reason given for each FOI application exceeding the average time for processing?
(4) How many FOI applications have been rejected by the Departments or Agencies within your portfolio?
(5) How many of these rejections have been successfully appealed?
(6) How many of these rejections are pending a decision of the FOI Commissioner?
(7) What were the reasons given by the Departments and Agencies for rejecting each of the FOI applications?
(8) What were the reasons given by the FOI Commissioner for upholding each of the appeals?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
18 May 2005
Responded by
Minister for Education and Training representing the Minister for Science
Response time
14 days
Answer (1) - (8) The Annual Reports of the Office of the Information Commissioner contains extensive statistical information on Freedom of Information applications to individual government agencies. Additional information, including the Commissioner's decisions, are available on that agency's website. Statistical information for the 2004-05 year is being, or will be, collated by each agency to submit to the Information Commissioner at the end of the financial year for inclusion in the Commissioner's 2004-05 Annual Report. It should be noted that: · an FOI application is not 'rejected' by an agency, even when an application does not comply with the requirements of s 12 of the FOI Act the agency must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to change the application so that it complies with those requirements (see s 11(3)); and · there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.
(1) - (8) The Annual Reports of the Office of the Information Commissioner contains extensive statistical information on Freedom of Information applications to individual government agencies. Additional information, including the Commissioner's decisions, are available on that agency's website. Statistical information for the 2004-05 year is being, or will be, collated by each agency to submit to the Information Commissioner at the end of the financial year for inclusion in the Commissioner's 2004-05 Annual Report. It should be noted that: · an FOI application is not 'rejected' by an agency, even when an application does not comply with the requirements of s 12 of the FOI Act the agency must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to change the application so that it complies with those requirements (see s 11(3)); and · there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.
Statistical information for the 2004-05 year is being, or will be, collated by each agency to submit to the Information Commissioner at the end of the financial year for inclusion in the Commissioner's 2004-05 Annual Report. It should be noted that: · an FOI application is not 'rejected' by an agency, even when an application does not comply with the requirements of s 12 of the FOI Act the agency must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to change the application so that it complies with those requirements (see s 11(3)); and · there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.
It should be noted that: · an FOI application is not 'rejected' by an agency, even when an application does not comply with the requirements of s 12 of the FOI Act the agency must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to change the application so that it complies with those requirements (see s 11(3)); and · there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.
· an FOI application is not 'rejected' by an agency, even when an application does not comply with the requirements of s 12 of the FOI Act the agency must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to change the application so that it complies with those requirements (see s 11(3)); and · there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.
· there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more