Driving tests, vehicle testing, temporary exemption certificates, driviers hours tachograph, motoring and key workers
Information Standards Freedom of Information Response
Our Ref: FoI 28-20
17 June 2020
Freedom of Information Act 2000
I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission may hold some information relating to your request of 15th May 2020. In your request you asked for the following information:
“Under the FOI Act could you please supply the Legislation and Statutory Rules, which enabled the NI Assembly to,
- Suspended Driving Tests:
- Suspended All Vehicle Testing:
- Issue Temporary Exemption Certificates, including Taxis and Buses:
- Driver CPC enforcement suspended:
- Drivers Hours Tachograph rules relaxed.
- Any other rule change/relaxation involving Motoring.
- Key Workers.
Please include Names and Qualifications held of those in the Departments / Committees / Advisers, involved in decision making / implementation.”
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the Assembly Commission is not required to provide information that is already available in a form accessible by the public. Legislation such as acts of the Assembly and statutory rules are published and are accessible at www.legislation.gov.uk.
Statutory rules are made by departments (or other public bodies) and are then laid at the Assembly. The Assembly Commission does hold some information relating to statutory rules laid at the Assembly. These records are held by statutory rule number.
For each statutory rule, the Assembly Commission holds a copy of the rule itself and any associated documents provided with it; the name of the laying authority (e.g. the Northern Ireland department or other public body) making the statutory rule; and the name of the Assembly Committee to which the rule was sent for scrutiny or information. The associated documents that accompany a statutory rule will include the laying letter (called an SL5), and an explanatory note, if one has been provided.
The Assembly Commission can provide copies of the associated documents and the name of the Assembly Committee to which a rule was sent for scrutiny for those statutory rules laid during the current Assembly mandate (2017-22). The Assembly Commission does not hold copies of the associated documents laid for statutory rules from previous mandates.
A list of the statutory rules laid at the Assembly is included in the Minute of Proceedings. The Minutes of Proceedings are published on the Assembly’s website, http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/minutes-of-proceedings/session-2019-20/
If there are particular statutory rules for which you would like to receive the further information that the Assembly Commission holds, please provide the relevant statutory rule number and year.
As noted above, statutory rules are made by Northern Ireland departments (or other public bodies). The Assembly Commission is a separate entity to the Northern Ireland Executive and departments. You may wish to consider contacting the relevant Northern Ireland department about specific statutory rules that they have made. The matters which you raise appear to fall within the remit of the Department for Infrastructure. Information on how to submit request for information to this department is available from the site: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/information-access-foi-complaints.
You have the right to request a formal review by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission and if you wish to do so, please write to me at the above address.
If after such an internal review you are still unhappy with the response, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF who will undertake an independent review.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
INFORMATION STANDARDS
