To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Section 36 exemptions were approved by Ministers following Freedom of Information Act requests in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by department. (113998)

The latest annual figures available are for 2005. The Freedom of Information annual report 2005 shows that 35,097 FOI requests were processed during the year, of which 554 were exempt under Section 36 (1.6 per cent.). The report, which also shows the figures broken down by department, is available in the Libraries of the House.

Quarterly reports which contain more recent statistics, up to and including Q3 2006, can be found in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if her Department will increase the £600 and £450 limits used for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act in line with inflation since the introduction of the Act. (114000)

There are currently no plans to increase the appropriate limits under the Freedom of Information Act.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether her Department’s proposals to amend Freedom of Information Act regulations to allow the aggregation of requests for cost purposes will permit such aggregation if an individual makes a series of different requests under the Act on different topics. (114001)

My Department published proposals for amending the regulations on 14 December 2006. Under these proposals it will be possible to aggregate requests from an individual on different topics.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the definition of a ‘campaign’ is under her Department’s proposals to amend Freedom of Information Act regulations to allow the aggregation of different requests in pursuance of a campaign. (114002)

The power to aggregate two or more requests for information by different persons who appear to the public authority to be acting in concert or in pursuance of a campaign is an existing provision (s.12(4)(b) of The Freedom of Information Act and referred to at regulation (5)(l)(b) of The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004).

Public authorities will continue to exercise their judgement in determining whether information is being requested in pursuance of a campaign as they do now but it is proposed the existing provision for the aggregation of requests on the same or similar information be extended to include requests on different information.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs by what criteria public authorities will ascertain whether persons are ‘apparently acting in concert of pursuance of a campaign’ under her Department’s proposals to amend Freedom of Information Act regulations. (114003)

The power to aggregate two or more requests for information by different persons who appear to the public authority to be acting in concert or in pursuance of a campaign is an existing provision (s.12(4)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act and referred to at regulation (5)(l)(b) of The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004). Public authorities will continue to exercise their discretion in applying this provision on a case by case basis.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether her Department’s proposals to amend Freedom of Information Act regulations to allow officials of a public authority to include the costs of reading, consideration and consultation time in calculations of the appropriate limit will affect the conduct of internal reviews. (114004)

My Department published proposals for amending the regulations on 14 December 2006. These proposals will only apply to initial requests for information and not to internal reviews.