Request
Can you tell me how many staff in total are now employed in the States of Jersey in Freedom of Information departments and also the total wage bill for 2016
Response
At the end of August 2017 there were 1.5 full time equivalent members of staff employed in the Central Freedom of Information Unit, and in addition 75% of another staff member’s time to assist in the management of the unit.
Due to the small number of employees within the unit, any information about the wage bill is considered personal information and is exempt under Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.
Where information is already in the public domain and is reasonably accessible to the public, a scheduled public authority is technically exempt from having to provide the information under Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011. You can find further information here:
Freedom of Information costs (FOI)
Central Freedom of Information Unit staffing costs (FOI)
Exemptions applied
Article 25 - Personal information
(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005.
(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –
(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in
the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005; and
(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection
principles, as defined in that Law.
Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means
(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.
(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.
