Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) During the period 1 January to 30 June 2011, Defence received 209 FOI requests and Defence Housing Authority (DHA) received six FOI requests.

(2) 177 FOI requests were finalised by Defence between 1 January to 30 June 2011. The following table provides a breakdown of these requests:

Section 15 requests Completed

Section 48 requests Completed

Notes

1. Where a document is identified and exempted in full, access to the document can be denied, with reference to the relevant exemption provisions of the FOI Act. During the period in question, three denials related to documents to which section 47F personal privacy provisions applied, one denial related to documents to which section 47G business affairs provisions applied, one denial related to documents to which section 42 legal privilege provisions applied and one denial related to documents to which section 33 national security provisions applied.

2. Section 24A of the FOI Act provides for requests for access to documents to be refused if the documents cannot be found or do not exist . Access may also be refused if the work involved in processing the request would substantially and unreasonably divert resources of an agency . For the period in question, all twelve refusals related to documents that did not exist or could not be found.

(2) Six FOI requests were finalised by DHA between 1 January to 30 June 2011. The following table provides a breakdown of these requests:

Section 15 requests Completed

Section 48 requests Completed

(3) You previously asked the same question under Senate Question on Notice No. 497 to 499 on 22 March 2011. The response provided to you remains extant.