Our Ref:          FOI-2019-1819

Thank you for your e-mail received on 1 November 2018 clarifying your request for correspondence regarding the delay to the opening of the Elizabeth Line.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and TfL’s information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require.

Unfortunately, to provide the information you have requested would still exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

As previously advised, 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 over the appropriate limit 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.

We have carried out a search based on the terms ‘Crossrail’ and ‘delay’ for the TfL staff listed in your request (i.e. Mike Brown and his direct reports). This has produced over 400 hits, and as previously stated is unlikely to capture all of the relevant correspondence as the term ‘delay’ might not have been used in the correspondence despite that being the subject matter. A search for ‘Crossrail’ OR ‘Elizabeth Line’ produces several thousand hits. This does not include any emails held by Crossrail, which would most likely increase the number of hits significantly.

The more specific a requester can be as to what they are looking for, the more we can narrow the search and therefore stand a better chance of a more relevant or focused result. However, based on the searches we have carried out we do not think there is a way the request can be framed sufficiently to capture the requested information. We would therefore advise that instead of requesting correspondence, you resubmit your request by asking specific questions or for specific documentation.

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 Transport for London. You should identify the information that you want as clearly and concisely as you can, specifying the types of document that you are looking for. You might also consider limiting your request to a particular period of time, geographical area or specific departments of TfL.

Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, TfL does 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.

In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to discuss your request, please feel free to contact me.

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
[email protected]