ICO policy documents: Line to Take: Difference between revisions

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== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==


In January 2007, the ICO released via FOI [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/foi_527.pdf] a number of their "Line to take" policy documents - these indicate how they approach certain types of complaints.
In January 2007, the ICO released via FOI [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/foi_527.pdf] a number of their "Line to take" policy documents - these indicate how they approach certain types of complaints.


<small>
Here is the ICO's description of what they are, from the above document:
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt1.pdf EIR - Regulation 8(3) - Cost - Reasonable amount]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt2.pdf FOI - s1 - Information held - Deleted electronic information]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt3.pdf FOI - s1(4) - Deleted information - Information held at one time and not at another]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt4.pdf FOI - s12 - Calculation of costs - Specialist software]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt5.pdf FOI/EIR - s42 / reg 12(5)(b) - Legal Professional Privilege - Similarity of exemption and exception]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt6.pdf FOI/EIR - s42/reg 12(5)(b) - Legal Professional Privilege - Waiver]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt7.pdf EIR - reg 2 - Environmental information - Town and Country Planning Act 1990]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt8.pdf FOI - s.1(3)/s16 - Clarification of requests - Wording and tone]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt9.pdf FOI - s16/s50(1) - Advice and Assistance - Consideration of issues not raised by complainant]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt10.pdf FOI/EIR - s3 / reg 2(2) - Public authorities - Port of London]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt11.pdf FOI/EIR - s3 /reg 2(2) - Public authorities - District Auditors]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt12.pdf FOI - s3 - Public authorities - Official Receivers]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt13.pdf FOI - Prejudice test - Likelihood]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt14.pdf FOI - s2(2)(b) - Public interest - Relevant considerations]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt15.pdf FOI - s42 - Legal Professional Privilege - Public interest]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt16.pdf FOI - s43 - Commercial interests - Prejudice to contractual negotiations]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt17.pdf FOI - s36 - Reasonable opinion of a qualified person - Procedure]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt18.pdf FOI - s.44 - Prohibition on disclosure - Financial Services and Markets Act 2000]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt19.pdf FOI - 30(1) - Investigations - Applicability of exemption]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt20.pdf FOI - 30(1) - Investigations - Public interest factors]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt21.pdf FOI/EIR - s.50 - Exemptions not claimed by a public authority - Commissioner’s duties and rights]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt22.pdf FOI - s44 - Statutory prohibition - Premium Saving Bonds Regulations 1972]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt23.pdf FOI - s.44 - Prohibitions on disclosure - Police Act 1996]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt24.pdf FOI/EIR - s44 - Prohibitions on disclosure - Public Contract Regulations 2006: reg.43]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt25.pdf FOI - s19/s22 - Forms of publication - Inspection]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt26.pdf FOI - s21 - Reasonably accessible information - Information made available on inspection]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt27.pdf FOI - s21 - Reasonable accessible information - Audit Commission Act 1998]
* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/foi_request_responses/ltt28.pdf FOI - s.40 - Personal data - Legal aid costs]


</small>
:"''By way of background, these documents are produced by our Policy Team as internal policy lines on the interpretation and application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 for the benefit of the FOI Department as a whole. The policy lines are signed off at Assistant Commissioner level, and you will note that in the main they derive from Decision Notices and/or Information Tribunal decisions.''"


== August 2010 ==
A growing number of LTTs have been produced since then - as at February 2011, there are just under 200 such Lines to Take.  The ICO doesn't yet routinely publish these, so they have been requested by means of FOI requests.  The following links provide detail for each set of LTTs release, and links to their original source documents:


* An updated list has been requested via FOI and is available on WhatDoTheyKnow  [http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/icos_lines_to_take]. There are now 177 LTTs.
* [[ICO_policy_documents:_Line_to_Take/January_2007|January 2007]] - 28 LTTs produced
* Work is currently in progress to transcribe the updated list of LTTs into a more structured format on FOIwiki, to enable the policies to be more easily interlinked with the other information on the site. 
* [[ICO_policy_documents:_Line_to_Take/August 2010|August 2010]] - issue of LTT1 - LTT177.
* This is necessary if they are to be easily referred to, as the data was released by the ICO in PDF format, spanning 7 files of around 20-30MB each, with the text poorly OCR'ed.  The files were split as follows:
* [[ICO_policy_documents:_Line_to_Take/February 2011|February 2011]] - amendments to 16 LTTs (mostly following Information Tribunal rulings), and 16 new LTTs.
:* [http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/43038/response/111090/attach/3/FOI%20EIR%20LTT%20Part%201%20of%207.pdf LTT 1 of 7] covers: LTT1 to LTT40
:* [http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/43038/response/111096/attach/3/FOI%20EIR%20LTT%20Part%202%20of%207.pdf LTT 2 of 7] covers: LTT41 to LTT90
:* [http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/43038/response/111091/attach/3/FOI%20EIR%20LTT%20Part%203%20of%207.pdf LTT 3 of 7] covers: LTT91 to LTT 116
:* [http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/43038/response/111095/attach/3/FOI%20EIR%20LTT%20Part%204%20of%207.pdf LTT 4 of 7] covers: LTT117 to LTT136
:* [http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/43038/response/111092/attach/3/FOI%20EIR%20LTT%20Part%205%20of%207.pdf LTT 5 of 7] covers: LTT136 to LTT149
:* [http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/43038/response/111094/attach/3/FOI%20EIR%20LTT%20Part%206%20of%207.pdf LTT 6 of 7] covers: LTT150 to LTT165
:* [http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/43038/response/111093/attach/3/FOI%20EIR%20LTT%20Part%207%20of%207.pdf LTT 7 of 7] covers: LTT166 to LTT177


== List of LTTs on FOIwiki ==
== List of LTTs on FOIwiki ==
Line 59: Line 24:
* [[Line to take - LTT8 - Clarification of requests]]
* [[Line to take - LTT8 - Clarification of requests]]
* [[Line to take - LTT9 - Issues not raised by complainant]]
* [[Line to take - LTT9 - Issues not raised by complainant]]
* LTT10 - Public authorities - Port of London - missing?
* <strike>Line to take - LTT10 - Public authorities - Port of London</strike> - withdrawn by ICO.
* [[Line to take - LTT11 - District Auditors]]
* [[Line to take - LTT11 - District Auditors]]
* [[Line to take - LTT12 - Official Receivers]]
* [[Line to take - LTT12 - Official Receivers]]
Line 92: Line 57:
* [[Line to take - LTT41 - Public interest in confidence]]
* [[Line to take - LTT41 - Public interest in confidence]]
* [[Line to take - LTT42 - No inherent public interest in s35]]
* [[Line to take - LTT42 - No inherent public interest in s35]]
* Line to take - LTT43/44 - Guiding principles in relation to s35(1)(a) & Reg 12(4)(e) public interest
* [[Line to take - LTT43 - Guiding principles in relation to s35(1)(a) & Reg 12(4)(e) public interest]]
* Line to take - LTT44 - ?? missing
* <strike>Line to take - LTT44</strike> - withdrawn by ICO
* [[Line to take - LTT45 - Disclosure to public]]
* [[Line to take - LTT45 - Disclosure to public]]
* [[Line to take - LTT46 - Assumption in favour of disclosure]]
* [[Line to take - LTT46 - Assumption in favour of disclosure]]
Line 106: Line 71:
* [[Line to take - LTT55 - Evidence from third parties]]
* [[Line to take - LTT55 - Evidence from third parties]]
* [[Line to take - LTT56 - Second data protection principle]]
* [[Line to take - LTT56 - Second data protection principle]]
* Line to take - LTT57/58?? - Schedule 2 Condition 6 of the DPA
* [[Line to take - LTT57 - Schedule 2 Condition 6 of the DPA]]
* Line to take - LTT58/59?? - Fair Processing Notices
* <strike>Line to take - LTT58</strike> - withdrawn by ICO
* Line to take - LTT59/60?? - Interpreting "proceedings" for the purposes of regulation 12(5)(d)
* [[Line to take - LTT59 - Fair Processing Notices]]
* Line to take - LTT60 - ?? missing
* [[Line to take - LTT60 - Interpreting "proceedings" for the purposes of regulation 12(5)(d)]]
* [[Line to take - LTT61 - Advice to Decision Makers]]
* [[Line to take - LTT61 - Advice to Decision Makers]]
* [[Line to take - LTT62 - Completion of policy formulation and development in relation to the PIT]]
* [[Line to take - LTT62 - Completion of policy formulation and development in relation to the PIT]]
Line 153: Line 118:
* [[Line to take - LTT102 - Failure to cite specific exception section number (EIR)]]
* [[Line to take - LTT102 - Failure to cite specific exception section number (EIR)]]
* [[Line to take - LTT103 - Provision of information under under request headings]]
* [[Line to take - LTT103 - Provision of information under under request headings]]
* Line to take - LTT104 - Information caught by regulation 12(4)(e) - text needs re-sending
* [[Line to take - LTT104 - Information caught by regulation 12(4)(e)]]
* Line to take - LTT105 - Claims of more than one limb of s36(2) - text needs re-sending
* [[Line to take - LTT105 - Claims of more than one limb of s36(2)]]
* [[Line to take - LTT106 - Summaries of information under the EIR]]
* [[Line to take - LTT106 - Summaries of information under the EIR]]
* [[Line to take - LTT107 - No prejudice / adverse effect test for class based exemptions / exceptions]]
* [[Line to take - LTT107 - No prejudice / adverse effect test for class based exemptions / exceptions]]
Line 164: Line 129:
* [[Line to take - LTT113 - Definition of Legal Professional Privilege]]
* [[Line to take - LTT113 - Definition of Legal Professional Privilege]]
* [[Line to take - LTT114 - Assessing whether information has been communicated or made available]]
* [[Line to take - LTT114 - Assessing whether information has been communicated or made available]]
* Line to take - LTT115 - Redaction and the Fees Regulations - text needs re-sending
* [[Line to take - LTT115 - Redaction and the Fees Regulations]]
* [[Line to take - LTT116 - Reasonable estimates]]
* [[Line to take - LTT116 - Reasonable estimates]]
* [[Line to take - LTT117 - Threshold of adverse effect]]
* [[Line to take - LTT117 - Threshold of adverse effect]]
Line 180: Line 145:
* [[Line to take - LTT129 - Safe space arguments]]
* [[Line to take - LTT129 - Safe space arguments]]
* [[Line to take - LTT130 - "Chilling effect" arguments]]
* [[Line to take - LTT130 - "Chilling effect" arguments]]
* Line to take - LTT131 - Risk to the role and integrity of Civil Service - orig text needs resending
* [[Line to take - LTT131 - Risk to the role and integrity of Civil Service]]
* [[Line to take - LTT132 - Public Interest in protecting collective Cabinet responsibility]]
* [[Line to take - LTT132 - Public Interest in protecting collective Cabinet responsibility]]
* Line to take - LTT133 - Overview of Section 35 & Regulation 12(4)(e) Public Interest arguments - original text needs resending
* [[Line to take - LTT133 - Overview of Section 35 & Regulation 12(4)(e) Public Interest arguments]]
* [[Line to take - LTT134 - Realistic expectation of confidentiality under s27(2) and (3)]]
* [[Line to take - LTT134 - Realistic expectation of confidentiality under s27(2) and (3)]]
* [[Line to take - LTT135 - Confidentiality and information "obtained from" under s27(2)]]
* [[Line to take - LTT135 - Confidentiality and information "obtained from" under s27(2)]]
Line 189: Line 154:
* [[Line to take - LTT138 - Degree of similarity required in order to aggregate requests]]
* [[Line to take - LTT138 - Degree of similarity required in order to aggregate requests]]
* [[Line to take - LTT139 - Extent to which information referred to in court (in criminal proceedings) is in the public domain]]
* [[Line to take - LTT139 - Extent to which information referred to in court (in criminal proceedings) is in the public domain]]
* Line to take - LTT140 - missing?
* [[Line to take - LTT140 - Pseudonyms]]
* [[Line to take - LTT141 - Advice and assistance in relation to s12]]
* [[Line to take - LTT141 - Advice and assistance in relation to s12]]
* [[Line to take - LTT142 - Specifying steps in relation to advice and assistance]]
* [[Line to take - LTT142 - Specifying steps in relation to advice and assistance]]
Line 197: Line 162:
* [[Line to take - LTT146 - Public Interest Test for "raw notes" and "aide memoire notes"]]
* [[Line to take - LTT146 - Public Interest Test for "raw notes" and "aide memoire notes"]]
* [[Line to take - LTT147 - "Manifestly unreasonable" in relation to the cost of complying with a request]]
* [[Line to take - LTT147 - "Manifestly unreasonable" in relation to the cost of complying with a request]]
* Line to take - LTT148 - Public interest arguments presented in favour of maintaining a relevant exemption for withholding information on lobbyists - orig text needs resending
* [[Line to take - LTT148 - Public interest arguments presented in favour of maintaining a relevant exemption for withholding information on lobbyists]]
* Line to take - LTT149 - Public interest in disclosing information about lobbyists - orig text needs resending
* [[Line to take - LTT149 - Public interest in disclosing information about lobbyists]]
* [[Line to take - LTT150 - "Meta-requests" (requests about requests)]]
* [[Line to take - LTT150 - "Meta-requests" (requests about requests)]]
* [[Line to take - LTT151 - Examples where information is accepted as reasonably accessible to the applicant]]
* [[Line to take - LTT151 - Examples where information is accepted as reasonably accessible to the applicant]]
Line 227: Line 192:
* [[Line to take - LTT176 - When does the public interest test apply to the exclusion from the duty to confirm or deny whether personal data is held]]
* [[Line to take - LTT176 - When does the public interest test apply to the exclusion from the duty to confirm or deny whether personal data is held]]
* [[Line to take - LTT177 - Advice and assistance where a request cannot be refined]]
* [[Line to take - LTT177 - Advice and assistance where a request cannot be refined]]
* [[LTT178 - A public authority shall not charge for allowing an applicant to inspect information|Line to take - LTT178 - A public authority shall not charge for allowing an applicant to inspect information]]
* [[LTT179 - Section 22 only applies to information clearly intended for publication|Line to take - LTT179 - Section 22 only applies to information clearly intended for publication]]
* [[LTT180 - The endangerment test under s38|Line to take - LTT180 - The endangerment test under s38]]
* [[LTT181 - Information / Documents post-dating an investigation|Line to take - LTT181 - Information / Documents post-dating an investigation]]
* [[LTT182 - Vexatious requests under EIR|Line to take - LTT182 - Vexatious requests under EIR]]
* [[LTT183 - Discretion to order no steps|Line to take - LTT183 - Discretion to order no steps]]
* [[LTT184 - Functions and statutory bars|Line to take - LTT184 - Functions and statutory bars]]
* [[LTT185 - Condition 5 Schedule 3 Data Protection Act 1998 (condition for processing sensitive personal data)|Line to take - LTT185 - Condition 5 Schedule 3 Data Protection Act 1998 (condition for processing sensitive personal data)]]
* [[LTT186 - When a refusal notice is not required in respect of a vexatious request|Line to take - LTT186 - When a refusal notice is not required in respect of a vexatious request]]
* [[LTT187 - Investigating procedural breaches - gateway line|Line to take - LTT187 - Investigating procedural breaches - gateway line]]
* [[LTT188 - Issuing a DN in relation to information already disclosed|Line to take - LTT188 - Issuing a DN in relation to information already disclosed]]
* [[LTT189 - Non-response cases|Line to take - LTT189 - Non-response cases]]
* [[LTT190 - Decision notices ordering the PA to reconsider the request|Line to take - LTT190 - Decision notices ordering the PA to reconsider the request]]
* [[LTT191 - Internal review under the EIR - issuing a DN requiring an internal review|Line to take - LTT191 - Internal review under the EIR - issuing a DN requiring an internal review]]
* [[LTT192 - Rejecting procedural exemptions / exceptions|Line to take - LTT192 - Rejecting procedural exemptions / exceptions]]
* [[LTT193 - Finding that further information is held approach to decision notices|Line to take - LTT193 - Finding that further information is held approach to decision notices]]
[[category:ICO policy]]

Revision as of 17:43, 3 April 2016

Introduction

In January 2007, the ICO released via FOI [1] a number of their "Line to take" policy documents - these indicate how they approach certain types of complaints.

Here is the ICO's description of what they are, from the above document:

"By way of background, these documents are produced by our Policy Team as internal policy lines on the interpretation and application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 for the benefit of the FOI Department as a whole. The policy lines are signed off at Assistant Commissioner level, and you will note that in the main they derive from Decision Notices and/or Information Tribunal decisions."

A growing number of LTTs have been produced since then - as at February 2011, there are just under 200 such Lines to Take. The ICO doesn't yet routinely publish these, so they have been requested by means of FOI requests. The following links provide detail for each set of LTTs release, and links to their original source documents:

List of LTTs on FOIwiki