During the period 21 April 1998 to 21 November 1999, my Department received a total of 847 requests under the Freedom of Information Act 1997; 767 were requests for personal information and 80 were requests for information of a non-personal nature.
There are two members of staff working solely on freedom of information in the FOI support unit. In addition, staff engaged in the administration and management of the Department's business devote time to requests under the FOI legislation as and when required. There are 95 officers, including reserve officers and internal reviewers, who make decisions under the Act under these arrangements. Similarly, clerical staff are diverted from their normal duties for search and retrieval of records as required.
These arrangements are designed to ensure that requests are processed efficiently and on a cost-effective basis. They are being actively monitored, and as in the case of other areas of the Department's activities, staffing levels are subject to adjustment having regard to overall business requirements.