Request ID: FOI-0277-2122 Date published: 27 May 2021
You asked
1 - What is the total number of FOI requests fulfilled by you in the last year May 8th 2020 to May 7th 2021?
2 - For question one, What are the totals numbers per month?
3 - How many for each of those months were deemed to be outside the scope of your ability to fulfill the request?
4 - What is the total number of FOI requests fulfilled by you from May 8th 2019 to May 7th 2020?
5 - For Question four, What are the FOI request totals for each month in 2020?
6- what was the largest number of questions asked within any FOIs from any of those periods?
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-0277-2122
Thank you for your request received on 10 May 2021 asking for information about the volume of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests we receive and process.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require. You asked:
1. What is the total number of FOI requests fulfilled by you in the last year May 8th 2020 to May 7th 2021? 2. For question one, What are the totals numbers per month? 4. What is the total number of FOI requests fulfilled by you from May 8th 2019 to May 7th 2020? 5. For Question four, What are the FOI request totals for each month in 2020?
Please find the requested information for the above questions in the table below. Please note that this information is recorded by financial periods, each period is four weeks long. I have attached a table providing the corresponding dates covered by the periods below. Please also see the attached file containing detail of the dates covered by the relevant periods:
No. of FOI/EIR Requests 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Period 1 216 210 100 192 Period 2 212 240 103 Period 3 244 232 152 Period 4 250 243 162 Period 5 239 265 149 Period 6 206 253 205 Period 7 212 228 192 Period 8 212 247 193 Period 9 239 244 201 Period 10 193 167 154 Period 11 264 325 176 Period 12 267 291 196 Period 13 273 224 220 Total 3027 3169 2203
Of the 5,372 FOI requests processed across the 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years, 5,351 were processed within the statutory deadline (99.6%) with individual financial year response rates of 99.4% in 2019/20 and 99.95% in 2020/21.
3. How many for each of those months were deemed to be outside the scope of your ability to fulfil the request? 6. What was the largest number of questions asked within any FOIs from any of those periods?
To provide the remaining information you have requested would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.
Under section 12 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, locating and retrieving it and extracting it from other information would exceed the appropriate limit. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described.
We have estimated that it would cost in excess of £450 to provide a response to your current request. This is because it is estimated that it would take over 18 working hours to retrieve and compile the information you have requested as we would need to review over 5,000 requests and replies in order to collate the specific information you have requested as the information is not something we can provide in a reported form.
With regard to question 3, based on analysis from a sample of 950 cases received across the 2019/20 financial year, we estimate that around 6% of the FOI requests we receive exceed the cost exemption to answer. It is also worth noting in relation to question 6 that the cost exemption applies in instances where it would take in excess of 18 hours to locate, extract and collate the information being requested. This can apply even in requests which contain just a single question as the cost exemption takes into account the full scope of the request, as well as any associated requests for the purposes of aggregation.
All of our responses to FOI requests are published on our website at the following link and so you would be able to review the requests and responses yourself to collate some sample data if this would be of use to you: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information
To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit, you may wish to consider narrowing its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. If you want to refine your request or make a Freedom of Information Act request in future, please bear in mind that the Freedom of Information Act allows you to request recorded information held by us. You may consider limiting your request to a shorter period of time.
Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, we do not have to answer your question if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of your request.
Please note that we will not be taking further action until we receive your revised request.
If this is not the information you are looking for please feel free to contact me.
If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
