Information for staff > Freedom of information > Freedom of information guidance > Model letters

Model Letters

• Audience and purpose
• Model letters
• Model paragraphs

Audience and purpose

This page contains model letters and paragraphs which may be used when answering freedom of information requests. They are models and as such can be altered to suit particular circumstances. They should be used in conjunction with the directions given in the freedom of information request handling procedures:

• Freedom of information request handling procedures

Model letters

The model letters are available as rich text documents and Adobe PDF.  If you do not already have an Adobe Acrobat reader you can download one free from the Adobe web site.

• Adobe web site

The following model letters are included:

• Model letters in process order
• A: Information included in the University’s publication scheme
• B: Information readily available elsewhere
• C: Information not held by the University
• D: Release of information
• E: Request for information that is available on the University website
• F: Seeking further information in order to respond to the request
• G: Acknowledgment letter
• H: Fees notice
• I: Charging for a request that will cost more than £600 to process
• J: Request will be too costly and help in reformulating request
• K: Confirming that the applicant does not want the information on non-payment of fee
• L: Acknowledgement of receipt of fee
• M: Release of part of information, when part is covered by an exemption
• N: Refusal of a vexatious request
• O: Refusal of a repeated request
• P: Notice of withholding information, when entirely covered by an exemption
• Q: Refusal to confirm or deny that the University holds the information
• R: Refusal of a ‘manifestly unreasonable’ request
• S: Seeking consent to release ‘confidential’/third party information
• U: Request to release staff contact details
• V: Advising the applicant that information is available through another body subject to FOI

Model paragraphs

As a supplement to the model letters the Records Management Section has put together paragraphs which may be useful when answering queries. Please note that all these paragraphs are restricted to University of Edinburgh staff only.

• A: International range of activities
• B: The size of the University
• C: Funding sources
• D: Devolved university structure
• E: Less than five
• F: Salaries not matching published accounts
• G: Staff whose contact details have been released not wishing to receive unsolicited marketing
• J: Geographical spread of the University
• L: Figures may vary from the published figures

If you have any comments about this guidance document, we would very much appreciate hearing them.  Please contact us with your feedback.

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Page last updated: Wednesday May 09 2012