Breakdown of costs of FOI requests (FOI)

​Request 691252335

On the 13/01/25 ITV Channel TV News, an article was published on an interview with Deputy T. Binet concerning the alleged costs of producing responses to Freedom of Information requests.

A quote from this article runs

"When FOls first came in for the States, we were expecting 60 years; we're now getting 1,000. We've done a cost estimate, and it is costing the taxpayer about £1m [£1,000 per FOl].‘

Documentation required.

Documentation showing the calculations and assumptions relating to Deputy Tom Binet’s statement in the press concerning the cost associated with answering Freedom of Information requests. 

As a guide, can you break down this figure of £1m a year, showing how this cost is arrived at/achieved? Especially what proportion is money that is spent only due to FOI procedures and what is money that would be spent anyway, such as existing staff providing a response as part of their day-to-day wider role (and which wouldn't be saving if FOI regulations were changed).

Documentation showing how long it took to calculate the figures quoted by Deputy Binet, how many civil servants were involved and in what departments. 

Documentation showing why it was possible to calculate the figures quoted by Deputy Binet, but not for the October 2024 FOIR on the same subject.

Response

Calculations and assumptions on the costs relating to Deputy Tom Binet’s statement in the press concerning the cost associated with answering Freedom of Information requests is not held by the Government of Jersey in a reportable format. 

Ministers were verbally briefed on the various costs incurred, including central costs, departmental processing and approval costs, legal costs and regulatory costs. 

In addition, information is publicly available on the Government of Jersey Website via the links below. Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has also been applied.

Freedom of Information (FOI)

Use of Exemptions Policy Guidance.pdf​

About Freedom of Information (FOI)​

Articles applied 

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority. 

​disclosure of the information would support transparency and promote accountability to the general public, providing confirmation that the necessary work is being undertaken disclosure to the public fulfils an educative role about the early stages in policy development and illustrates how the department engages with parties for this purpose.  

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.