FOI and EIR request compliance statistics
We publish details of our compliance in responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) and Environmental Information Regulation (EIR) requests.
From November 2018, we publish these statistics quarterly for the periods ending September, December, March and June.
The data is published a month after the end of the quarter. This is because public authorities have up to a statutory 20 working days to respond to FOI and EIR requests, and reporting a month after the end of the quarter allows time for the outcomes of all requests made during that quarter to be captured.
The datasets contain the following information:
- Total number of requests received (FOI and EIR)
- Total number of FOI requests received
- Total number of EIR requests received
- Requests still being processed (this could be because of a permitted extension to the 20 working day timescale or because the request has been suspended pending clarification from the requester)
- Number received and processed in full
- 20 working day deadline met
- Permitted extension of the 20 working day deadline (if the public interest test is being considered under FOI, or, if the information requested is complex and voluminous under EIR, it is permissible for public authorities to extend the response timescales by up to a further 20 working days)
- Late response, for example 20 working day deadline missed
- Information granted in full (all of the information requested was released)
- Information refused in full (for some requests certain exemptions, or exceptions in the case of EIR requests, apply which prevent the release of all of the information requested. Exemptions can apply for a variety of reasons, including if the information is publicly available elsewhere, if it contains the personal data of third parties or if collating the information would exceed 18 hours. Full details of all exemptions and exceptions that can be used are available on the Information Commissioner's website
- Information not held (none of the information requested was held by Herefordshire Council)
- Information granted in part and refused in part (some of the requested information was released, some of it was withheld because an exemption or exception applied to part of it)
- Number referred to internal review (if a requester is dissatisfied with the handling of their request they can ask for it to reviewed by a panel of officers not involved in the original response. This information is reported annually)
Further information on FOI and EIR can be found in the access to information section.
Viewing the datasets
View the latest FOI and EIR request compliance statistics
When the column on the spreadsheet is quite narrow the numbers are shown as #s.
If you widen the column you will be able to see the numbers properly.