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Making a Request For Information

(a) Information included in the Publication Scheme

Information specified in the Guide to information will be made available to the public in response to postal or email request. We aim to respond to requests from our guide to information within 10 working days. There will be no charge for access to this information although, if relevant, you will be charged for photocopies and print outs supplied at a rate that reflects the actual costs incurred by the Inn. This will be 10p per page for black and white photocopies and printing, and 20p per page for colour. Postage will be charged at the actual cost of Royal Mail standard 2nd class. We will tell you about any costs before we provide the information. At that time you can decide to proceed, change your request or cancel. For conservation reasons some records may be considered unsuitable for photocopying.

 

(b) Information not included in the Publication Scheme

If the information that you want is not available under our publication scheme or guide to information, then you can request it from us. Requests need to be made in writing via post or email. Charges will be made to cover the cost of sending the information to you. This will be 10p per page for black and white photocopies and printing, and 20p per page for colour. Postage will be charged at the actual cost of Royal Mail standard 2nd class. If we estimate that the time taken to locate the information (and determine whether we hold it), extract the information and send it to you will cost more than £450 then we can charge you for this. This includes staff costs at the rate of £25 per person per hour (18 hours of one person’s time). We will tell you about any costs before we provide the information. At that time you can decide to proceed, change your request or cancel.

Please see our Guide to information for full details of our charges. These rates are in keeping with those set by the Government’s Fees Regulations (Statutory Instrument 2004, No 3244) issued under the Act.

Enquirers should bear in mind that information which is exempt under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act or the Data Protection Act may not be released.

 

How to make a request

The FOIA requires that when making a request you:

  • Make it in writing (this can be by email)
  • Tell us your name
  • Provide an address for correspondence (this can be an email address)
  • Describe the information you wish to receive and the format you would like to receive the information in. If your request is unclear, or too general, we can put the response time on hold while we obtain clarification from you.

You are not required to state your reason for asking for the information.

Please send requests to:

Data Governance Manager
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
The Treasury Office
Ashley Building
Middle Temple Lane
London EC4Y 9BT
Or email: FOI@middletemple.org.uk
 

We will record and acknowledge your request and respond fully within 20 working days although we can extend this to 40 working days for complex cases. We will consider your request and reply, either providing the information or explaining why we have not provided it. Some information may be covered by exemptions, and if this applies to part of the information you have requested we will release as much of the rest as possible.

If a fee is payable we will notify you of this and the time limit of 20 days will be put on hold until payment of the fee is received. If you do not pay within 3 months the request will lapse.

 

Requests for Environmental information

Enquiries relating to environmental information will be handled under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 rather than under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

You can submit a request under the EIR in the same way you would a FOI request (see above). Additionally you can make verbal enquiries under the EIR.

The Inn can make a reasonable charge for supplying environmental information. Photocopying, printing and postage charges for information requested under the EIR will be the same as for FOI requests (see above). In some cases we may also charge for the staff time taken to identify, locate or retrieve the information from storage for EIR requests, this will be at a rate of £25/hour. If a fee is payable we will notify you of this and the time limit of 20 days will be put on hold until payment of the fee is received. If you do not pay within 60 days the request will lapse. Please see our Guide to information for full details of our charges.

There are some differences between requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations. For further information on this please see the EIR pages on the Information Commissioner's website.

 

Functions delegated to the City Corporation

Enquiries regarding local government functions delegated to the City Corporation under the Temples Order of 1971 should be directed to the City of London Corporation.

Information can be found on their website here.

Or enquires can be made to:

Information Officer
Town Clerk’s Department
City of London
PO Box 270 Guildhall
London EC2P 2EJ
020 7332 1209
Or email: information.officer@cityoflondon.gov.uk

 

Requests for Personal Information

You cannot request information on someone else under the FOIA. This is exempt under Section 40 of the Act, as disclosure would violate the Data Protection Act. If you wish to request the personal data that the Inn holds on you under the Data Protection Act please see here.