Covid-19 FOI response delays - Find a freedom of information request

For the period 16th March - 17th July 2020 (i.e., when ICO had indicated a sympathetic approach to delay), provide precise data if available e.g., 15 out of 30 requests, and if not, provide an estimate e.g., 10%, for these questions:

(a) how many responses to FOI requests were issued within 20 working days of receipt by your organisation?

(b) how many responses to FOI review requests were issued within 20 working days of receipt of the request for an internal review?

(c) how many responses to FOI requests were issued within 21 and 60 working days of receipt by your organisation?

(d) how many responses to FOI review requests were issued within 21 and 60 working days of receipt of the request for an internal review?

2. For the period 18th July - 8th October 2020 (i.e., during the 'preparing for recovery' phase), provide precise data if available e.g., 15 out of 30 requests, and if not, provide an estimate e.g., 10%, for these questions:

(a) how many responses to FOI requests were issued within 20 working days of receipt by your organisation?

(b) how many responses to FOI review requests were issued within 20 working days of receipt of the request for an internal review?

(c) how many responses to FOI requests were issued within 21 and 60 working days of receipt by your organisation?

(d) how many responses to FOI review requests were issued within 21 and 60 working days of receipt of the request for an internal review?

3. During the period 1st March to 30th October 2020, provide precise data if available e.g., 15 out of 30 requests, and if not, provide an estimate e.g., 10%, for these questions:

(a) how many responses to FOI requests were issued more than 60 working days after receipt of the request?

(b) how many responses to FOI review requests were issued more than 60 working days after receipt of a request for an internal review?

4. When FOI request or review responses were issued more than 21 working days after receipt during the period 1st March and 30th October 2020, what were the main reasons for the delay?

e.g., closure of premises due to Covid-19, reallocation of resources due to Covid-19, staff shortages due to Covid-19, absence of key staff due to Covid-19, limited access to necessary systems due to Covid-19, other issue related/unrelated to Covid19.

5. In relation to the FOI requests received by your organisation between 1st March and 30th October 2020, what proportion related directly to Covid-19, your organisation's Covid-19 response or impact of the pandemic on your organisation? (Provide precise data if available e.g., 15 out of 30 requests, and if not, provide an estimate e.g., 10%)

6. On 17th July 2020 the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) launched a selfassessment Freedom of Information toolkit (FOI self-assessment toolkit | ICO) to help public authorities respond to FOI requests as they prepared to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. - Does, or has your organisation ever, use/d the toolkit? If so, please explain whether it has it had any positive outcomes. - If your organisation has not/does not make use of the toolkit, please explain why not.

7. In response to Covid19, has the volume of information your organisation publishes: - not changed - significantly increased - significantly decreased - don't know

8. Has your organisation taken steps to proactively publish information relating to Covid-19, your organisation's Covid-19 response or the impact of the pandemic on your organisation? If it includes a dedicated webpage, please provide a link to the webpage.

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1 a) 229 requests i.e. 78%

b) 1 request i.e. 25%

c) 36 requests i.e. 12%

d) 3 requests i.e. 75%

2 a) 147 requests i.e. 77%

b) 2 requests i.e. 29%

c) 35 requests i.e. 18%

d) 3 requests i.e. 43%

3 a) 51 requests i.e. 8%

b) 3 requests i.e. 25%

4) Lincolnshire County Council do not hold this information

5) 23 requests i.e. 4%

6) No, however we adapted our acknowledgement to requestors to explain we would aim to respond within the 20 working day timeframe, however due to the pandemic, we could not guarantee a response by this date

7. The volume has significantly increased.

8. Yes - both on the website and across social media.

On social media, we published the latest from national organisations (e.g., PHE, Number 10, NHS etc etc) as well as our own information relevant to Lincolnshire, such as case numbers, advice, useful numbers, and information, grants available etc. The was a dedicated homepage to just Covid-19 content. This was available at http://lincolnshire.gov.uk/coronavirus however has since been disbanded. For any service with long term changes or advice due to the pandemic this will be now find on their own webpages.