BERR Ref:09/0382

1 April 2009

Dear Mr Jackson

Freedom of Information Request - Blacklisting

Thank you for your request for “all studies, papers and other relevant documents relating to the existence and/or regulation of” blacklists of trade union members, and “copies of any communication regarding this topic” between the Department and the companies named by the Information Commissioner’s press release of 6 March 2009. We received your request on 6 March 2009. I regret that we cannot provide this information as the effort to administer your request would exceed the limit prescribed by Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act. This is £600, which represents the estimated cost of spending 24 hours in determining whether the Department holds the information, and locating, retrieving and extracting the information. Above this, we are not obliged to comply with a request.

Section 12 of the Act applies because your request for information is very broad. In particular, you have not specified a range of dates within which the Department would need to search for the information you have requested. Therefore, to meet your request, BERR would need to trawl several decades of records. As such, we would rapidly reach the cost threshold. However, if you were to submit a similar request with a defined range of dates within which to search, the Department may be able to consider that request.

Appeals procedure

If you are unhappy with the result of your request for information, you may request an internal review within two calendar months of the date of this letter. If you wish to request an internal review please contact me.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely,

Glenn Harrison

Policy Adviser, Employment Relations Directorate

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