Attendance records of Members who travelled to Parliament Buildings

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our Ref: FoI 31-19

27 November 2019

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your request of 29 October 2019 in which you requested the following information:

"I want to check the attendance record of my local MLAs. I know they aren't sitting but their actual attendance at Parliament Buildings (for which they are entitled travel expenses)."

Clarification of the information you required was sought on 07 November 2019, we asked:

"I would like to know who your local MLA's are in order to ascertain if we hold the information that you seek?"

Your response of 8 November 2019 confirmed that you required

"All MLAs attendance at Parliament Buildings in the last 2 complete years either calendar years or sessions"

I wish to advise you that to comply with this request would exceed the fees limit under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Section 12(1) of the FOIA provides:

"Section 1(1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit."

We have estimated that, in order to comply with your request, staff would be required to consider a vast amount of correspondence to extract the information requested and that this would exceed the fees limit as provided for under section 12(1) of the FOIA.

It may be helpful to discuss your request and determine if we can refine your request to make it specific to the information that you require in line with the fees limit. I am happy to discuss this matter and if you wish to call me my direct number is (028) 90521930.

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Yours sincerely

Information Standards