Sadly, a disappointing response from Sarah Kingston at Hampshire County Council has arrived in my inbox:


Dear Mr Young

Thank you for your request. The County Council does not hold theinformation of the description specified in your request.
The County Council has a procedure for dealing with complaints includingcomplaints about the handling of requests for information. A copy of thecomplaints procedure can be found at www.hants.gov.uk/complaints/comphow.html.

Yours sincerely

Sarah Kingston

Sarah Kingston
Planning and Communications Officer, Children's Services Department, Hampshire County Council
* sarah.kingston@hants.gov.uk * 01962 846390 "http://www.hants.gov.uk/education/

I today sent the following reply back to Ms Kingston:



Dear Sarah,

Thank you for your swift and delightful response.

Alas, I cannot pass on my daytime contact number as I am unable to use a phone. However, I am happy to clarify my request: I am simply trying to find which pupil is 'hardest' - that is, the king of the playground.
I trust this clears the matter up.

Yours,

Norbert Young

Today I received a response to my request from Sarah Kingston, a Planning and Communications Officer in the Children's Services Department at Hampshire County Council. She is unfortunately a little perplexed. She wrote:



Dear Mr Young

Thank you for your request (below). It would be helpful if I couldclarify exactly what information you require but this would be easier byphone. Could you let me have your daytime contact number?

Regards

Sarah Kingston
Planning and Communications Officer, Children's Services Department,
Hampshire County Council
* sarah.kingston@hants.gov.uk * 01962 846390 "http://www.hants.gov.uk/education/

It's been a long hiatus since my last posting, but today I returned to the fray and made the following request to Hampshire County Council under the Freedom of Information Act. It was made using the on-line application form on their website (http://eforms-ext.hants.gov.uk/AF3/an/default.aspx//RenderForm/?Name=Jpn0nvUg-_P).


I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the freedom of information act. In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my query as specifically as possible. If however this request is too wide or too unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I understand that under the act, you are required to advise and assist requesters.

I would like to know who the 'hardest' child is in all of Hampshire's secondary schools. By 'hardest', I of course mean 'best at fighting'.

I understand that under the act, I should be entitled to a response within 20 working days. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request. If possible I would prefer to receive correspondence by e-mail.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

I have received the following letter from the Ministry of Defence who, sadly, appear to be unaware who won the Second World War. They have kindly recommended a book, though, which I shall be sure to seek out:



Ministry of Defence
DG Info, Level 6, Zone E, Desk 03, Main Building, Whitehall, London SW1A 2HB
Telephone: 020 7218 4848 (External) or 9621 84848 (Military)
Fax: 020 7218 4619 (External) or 9621 84619 (Military)
E-mail: e-mail: info-accessOps7@mod.uk
T Simcock
Information Access Ops 7


Mr N Young
norbertyoung@hotmail.co.uk

16 December 2005
Dear Mr Young

Request for Information

Your correspondence dated 7 December 2005 has been considered to be a request for information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 / Environmental Information Regulations 2004. Your request has been assessed. This letter is to inform you that we do not believe that the information you have requested is held by the Ministry of Defence.

A number of Official Histories relating to the Second World War have been published and are available from TSO books: http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp

The Imperial War Museum advises that the following book is available:

Why the Allies Won
By Richard Overy
Published by Jonathan Cape
London 1995
ISBN 0-224-041-72-X

If you are dissatisfied with this decision or wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of this request, then you should contact the undersigned in the first instance. Should you remain dissatisfied, then you may apply for an internal review by contacting the Director of Information Exploitation, 6th Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB.

If you are still unhappy following an internal review, you may take your complaint to the Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. Please note that the Information Commissioner will not investigate your case until the MOD internal review process has been completed. Further details of the role and powers of the Information Commissioner can be found on the Commissioner's website, http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk


Yours sincerely

T P Simcock

Despite my disappointing response from the Scottish Executive, today I made the following request to the Ministry of Defence under the Freedom of Information Act. It was made using the on-line application form on their website (http://www.mod.uk/publications/foi/foirequest.htm).



I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the freedom of information act. In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my query as specifically as possible. If however this request is too wide or too unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I understand that under the act, you are required to advise and assist requesters.

I would like to know who won the Second World War.

I understand that under the act, I should be entitled to a response within 20 working days. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request. If possible I would prefer to receive correspondence by e-mail.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Unfortunately, it seems the Scottish Executive are failing to keep adequate records of what their elected representatives are eating for the most important meal of the day. I received this reply today from his Deputy Private Secretary Michael McElhinney:






15th November 2005



Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) of 9th November 2005.

You requested information about what the First Minister Jack McConnell had for breakfast on Wednesday 9th November 2005.

The information you have requested is not held by the Scottish Executive. I am sorry we are unable to assist with your enquiry. If you are unhappy with this response to your request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review, by writing to the Permanent Secretary, John Elvidge, St Andrews House, Regent Road, EH1 3DG. Your request should explain why you wish a review to be carried out, and should be made within 40 working days of receipt of this letter, and we will reply within 20 working days of receipt. The review will be undertaken by staff not involved with your original request. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to make a formal complaint to the Scottish Information Commissioner.



MICHAEL McELHINNEY
Deputy Private Secretary

Following my success with the Royal Mail, today I sent the following letter to the Freedom of Information department at the Scottish Executive:



Scottish Executive
The Scottish Executive
St Andrew's House
EDINBURGH
EH1 3DG

November 9, 2005


Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the freedom of information act. In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my query as specifically as possible. If however this request is too wide or too unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I understand that under the act, you are required to advise and assist requesters.

I would like to know what First Minister Jack McConnell had for breakfast this morning (Wednesday, November 9, 2005).

I understand that under the act, I should be entitled to a response within 20 working days. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request. If possible I would prefer to receive correspondence by e-mail.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours,


Norbert Young