Should low level FOIs be allowed e.g. “Does HQAC have a kitchen” (This has been asked). Would better comms reduce higher level FOIs e.g . What has been done to try and mitigate against a stop order?
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Allowed? Yes. If it meets the legal criteria. It’s a great accountability process.
Needed? Not always. They’re is a lot of rubbish that gets requested. But there is also a lot of stuff that I’ve read off of WhatDoTheyKnow that I otherwise wouldn’t know about.
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So what be the consequences of the RAF or RAFAC ignoring an FOI?
If it’s a fine is the size of the fine less than the cost of processing?
The police tactic tends to be say they are two expensive to deal with due to the cost required to replaced the resources redirected back from any other work.
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There’s a specified limit. For Gov, that’s £600. They work on £25 per hour for processing.
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Add to that the RAF way of dealing with an FoI seems to be
Locate it
Print everything off
Redact it
Scan it in
Which seems very labour intensive. Yes for other parts of the military this might be the most secure way but a volunteer cadet force we shouldn’t be handling things with that sensitivity so perhaps an easy process.
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So if it can’t be done in 24 working hours it’s gets bounced? That’s what three working days?
I think RAFAC should be bouncing a lot more & then let the person appeal.
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What the requester shoul be thinking before they waste the time is “What do I really want out of this?” And what improvements will it being.
Looking at most of those related to us, they are clearly made by people who have a chip (or patato) on their shoulder and just want to address their ego of saying “see, just as I thought”
Accountability to the tax payer is important, but as a tax payer where would I rather my taxes be spent…putting a Cadet in the air or spending it on an ego centric FOI that serves no use.
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I see FOI’s as being a cattle prod to beat the bovines with - it’s punishment for being utterly useless at their jobs, and being utterly useless at communicating what pitiful proportion of their jobs they actually do.
The corners of my mouth twitch with joy every time a FOI lands on their desks.
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Well at least you are honest and have admitted to being part of the problem. You do realise every effort spent answering an FOI is one step further from delivering some thing useful to a cadet. So thank you for your contribution and you do t mind that in the scheme of things its worrhless.
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I’ve only ever sent one, and that was years ago - but here’s a pretty question:
Given the record of HQAC and 22Group, do you actually believe that giving them more time to do their jobs is going to ensure a favourable result for the cadet experience?
The more time they spend at their desks the more harm they do, …
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What have the poor penguins done to deserve that?
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I sent one about the close down and move of my old Squadron, very revealing of what had gone on behind the scenes.
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Gkad you have benefited, If done in the right wqy for meaningful reasons they are very productive, however some have weaponnised them for their own self indulgance which runs a mockery of the system.
Don’t make me lock it.
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It did & had a big refurb…
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But also, just as valid is “Why has that decision been made like that?” or “What resources have we wasted on this project?” or “What are the statistics on X?”.
FOI doesn’t always have to be about making positive change in the short term. It can be about trying to better understand what the hell is going on in some places. In the long term, this can help better deal with or understand certain process.
The vast majority of FOIs seem to be about finding out what went into certain changes. You see an announcement, then you see FOIs asking about emails, briefing papers etc. The recent 0 hour warning ban on car parking is prime example. ‘Stop all car parking’, said HQ, with literally 0 context or background. Nothing. Of course people are going to want to know what the hell has happened. Throw in a rumour that a senior officer made the decision themselves, and you’re going to get FOIs.
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Our cadet hut had a refurb, fortunately no FOIs wasted on that project 
Mine contained confidential medical information I had given to the Co which he sent to a third party without my consent, would never have known if I didn’t put the overall FOI in, also showed the attitude of the middle level CoC to being challenged for their decisions, in particular going to Dawn McCafferty and the local MP direct.
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I beg to differ - if that is your attitude, then let’s go to dark & secretitive communications, with decisions being made that are not transparent or readily accountable. Oh…
Far from it.
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As i said if the FOI is worth it fine, but doing it be petty and childish then just a waste of time and the only ones that lose arecthe cadets. Unfortunately anyone can submit an FOI no matter how petty