Requesting Information

A few things you need to know about requesting information:

1. You must supply a full name and address (either postal or email or both) for your request to be for filled (if you are submitting a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act then you must also send a check for £10 payable to RHBNC).
2. If in doubt over any aspect of your request, the FOI team can advise and assist you.
3. The more details you can provide in your request for information, the simpler it will be for us to try and answer it. Examples of the type of useful information may include:

• Whether it is likely to be held by a specific department
• Whether it is likely to be held with or contained in specific University documentation e.g. minutes of a committee or annual report
• Any file references or document titles associated with the information
• Whether the information is referred to on the University website. If so provide details of URL.
• Whether it has been previously supplied to you. If so the details of that request will be extremely useful. 

The College can ask you to clarify your request where information cannot be located from the original request.

Refusal of requests for information:

1. The College may refuse to answer, either partially or in whole your request for information.
2. Refusals will be based on our application of the exemptions regarding access to information contained within the Freedom of Information Act.
3. Certain requests for information may be answered by providing redacted information. Redacted information is where the specific content has been left out of a document because it contains exempt material under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act or Data Protection Act 1998.
4. Your request may also be refused if the information is available freely elsewhere (for example in a document or via our website. In this case you will be told this and given guidance as to where to find that information.
5. Should you receive a total refusal or partial refusal you will be given a full explanation for the decision and actions we take.
6. You will be supplied with the details of the appeals procedures that are available to you.

 

Format of Information:

• Not all information can be supplied in the format that you may request (e.g. digital or hard copy)
• Some information may be contained in paper or bound documents that cannot be photocopied or it may take too long or cost too much to photocopy. In this case it may be appropriate to come and view the original material at the College.

Complaints:

Under the Freedom of Information Act, anyone not satisfied with the response to their request may seek review by writing to:

The Governance Officer
Royal Holloway University of London
Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX

stating when and to whom the original request was made.

If, after the investigation of your complaint, you are still dissatisfied you may refer your complaint to the Information Commissioner.

Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

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