h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I sent an email to Ofcom in February. For those of you who don't know, Ofcom is the Office of Communications in the UK, which encompasses a fairly wide range of duties, including the monitoring of the Directory Enquiries service.

Anyway, my Economics coursework involved an examination of the various Directory Enquiries services available since the BT service was deregulated. I filled in an enquiry form on the Ofcom website, asking where I can find out about the relative market share of the various companies providing the service. This was on 18/2/2005, and I didn't get a reply, so I worked round the issue, finished my coursework and handed it in.

Got an email today. It was from Ofcom, with a letter attached. Here's an extract from the start of the letter.

"Freedom of Information: Right to know request
I am writing in response to your letter of 18/2/2005 requesting information regarding figures for the relative market shares of the various DQ providers.

Ofcom can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you requested as the duty in s.1 (1) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply, by virtue of s.44 of that Act. However, this should not be taken as conclusive evidence that the information you requested exists or does not exist."

So, basically, they're saying 'We might know the answer, but we're not going to tell you whether or not we know, and if we DO know, we're not going to tell you the answer.'

Thanks, guys. Incidentally, the letter's filename was REFUSAL_NOT_CONFIRM.

s.44 - Information prohibited from disclosure by any enactment, punishable as contempt of court, or incompatible with EC obligation.

Oop.

Maybe they think I'm going to pass on information about DQ market shares to terrorists

Or just generally be in contempt somehow...

I like the way they cover their backs by saying that just because they won't tell me, doesn't mean they don't know!

"this should not be taken as conclusive evidence that the information you requested exists or does not exist"

To be honest 'we can neither confirm or deny' is the equivalent of not replying anyway...

Well, they might as well not have, I've already handed it in anyway

How long can it take to write the words 'we don't want to tell you'?

Well when you consider it they aren't obliged to reply, tell you, or state the reason why they won't tell you. The information is technically about private companies that just happen to provide a 'public service' (although I'm not sure how public or servicey it is) and so it's their info and they don't have to say. Unfortunate...but true.

If say you wanted to know...how much the NHS spends on alcohol each year () then I guess they MIGHT have to tell you because the NHS is public government run....possibly...perhaps...I don't know.

Then again perhaps we should all mind our own business...except for me, I get to mind other people's business because...I know where you live!

Do you?

When you say alcohol, I take it you mean surgical spirit...

uhhh...yeah....that stuff

Well I certainly know where Joe C lives and I'm sure I could find out where you live

*surreptitiously moves the house two inches to the left*

*hides under the desk*

Freedom of information you see