Any update on the RCVS professional conduct issue ?

[Blue Bubble]

Any update on the RCVS professional conduct issue ?

BSM ? Yuri ? Rolfe ?


Nevertheless, over two months into the statutory 12-week consultation period on this matter (26th May 2006), a further consultation was announced, this time specifically about homoeopathic remedies. It has apparently only just been realised(!) that under the current regulations the practice of veterinary homoeopathy is illegal, and the VMD therefore considers it a matter of urgency to rectify this, and hand out "grandfather" licences to a whole slew of different varieties of sugar pill. So urgent, in fact, that the 12-week consultation period required by the relevant code of practice has been reduced to only six weeks.


The consultation is open until 7th July 2006, and we would urge anyone at all who is concerned by the implications of this move to contact the VMD at the address on the consultation document and register a suitable protest.

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

The VMD consultation is over. The responses are available, but apparently only as physical hard copies from the DEFRA library. Earlier this morning I e-mailed to enquire about the practicality and costs of getting them.

Here is the page where anything online should appear if they deign to make a summary available;

http://www.vmd.gov.uk/publications/consultations/previous.htm

As to the other question, I'll PM you.

[brodski]

The VMD consultation is over. The responses are available, but apparently only as physical hard copies from the DEFRA library. Earlier this morning I e-mailed to enquire about the practicality and costs of getting them.

If they drag their feet put in an FOI request for the responses, as these are all ready in the public domain (they are available from the office at Smith Square) they can't charge you or withhold any responses, they may black out the names of the respondents though.

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

If they drag their feet put in an FOI request for the responses, as these are all ready in the public domain (they are available from the office at Smith Square) they can't charge you or withhold any responses, they may black out the names of the respondents though.

Ooh, good one. I've already sent them my second e-mail of the morning, so I'll hang fire till I get a reply to that before I use your idea.

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

If they drag their feet put in an FOI request for the responses, as these are all ready in the public domain (they are available from the office at Smith Square) they can't charge you or withhold any responses, they may black out the names of the respondents though.

OK. Just received a blocking reply. Who do I apply to and what am I applying for?

[brodski]

OK. Just received a blocking reply. Who do I apply to and what am I applying for?
Send a request back to the person (or e-mail address) that you originally requested the information from, state that you are now requesting this information (as well as any and all other papers, files and other electronic records relatign to the consulattion and its responces) under the Freedom of Information act 2000, ask for confirmation of your request (you should get one with 10 days max). They will have 28 days to supply you with the information, or they will have to get an exemption from the reinvent Secretary of State, (this will be tricky during Summer recess as most of the ministers are currently sunning themselves). If your request is denied you can appeal to the office of the information commissioner. If they don't reply within 28 days, you can complain to the information commissioner, who will then request an explanation from the SoS, if the OIC are not satisfied with the response from the SoS they can force disclosure. The way these things generally work is that almost all appeals are upheld, also if they are already making this available to the public (from their library in Smith Square) there are no grounds under which they can refuse to send you a copy, they may charge you for photocopying. I may put in an FOI request myself just to see how they play it.

[casebro]

Send a request back to the person (or e-mail address) that you originally requested the information from, state that you are now requesting this information (as well as any and all other papers, files and other electronic records relatign to the consulattion and its responces) under the Freedom of Information act 2000, ask for confirmation of your request (you should get one with 10 days max). They will have 28 days to supply you with the information, or they will have to get an exemption from the reinvent Secretary of State, (this will be tricky during Summer recess as most of the ministers are currently sunning themselves). If your request is denied you can appeal to the office of the information commissioner. If they don't reply within 28 days, you can complain to the information commissioner, who will then request an explanation from the SoS, if the OIC are not satisfied with the response from the SoS they can force disclosure. The way these things generally work is that almost all appeals are upheld, also if they are already making this available to the public (from their library in Smith Square) there are no grounds under which they can refuse to send you a copy, they may charge you for photocopying. I may put in an FOI request myself just to see how they play it.


Perhaps enclosing a copy of this in an email request would be enough to get them off the dime? Sort of "I know how the system works, don't make me got through it or you'll be sorry" tactic?

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

Send a request back to the person (or e-mail address) that you originally requested the information from, state that you are now requesting this information (as well as any and all other papers, files and other electronic records relatign to the consulattion and its responces) under the Freedom of Information act 2000, ask for confirmation of your request (you should get one with 10 days max). They will have 28 days to supply you with the information, or they will have to get an exemption from the reinvent Secretary of State, (this will be tricky during Summer recess as most of the ministers are currently sunning themselves). If your request is denied you can appeal to the office of the information commissioner. If they don't reply within 28 days, you can complain to the information commissioner, who will then request an explanation from the SoS, if the OIC are not satisfied with the response from the SoS they can force disclosure. The way these things generally work is that almost all appeals are upheld, also if they are already making this available to the public (from their library in Smith Square) there are no grounds under which they can refuse to send you a copy, they may charge you for photocopying. I may put in an FOI request myself just to see how they play it.

Just to clarify, is there any good reason why I cannot have what I want, or do I merely have to say "Give me the documents" and they are required to jump?

[brodski]

Just to clarify, is there any good reason why I cannot have what I want, or do I merely have to say "Give me the documents" and they are required to jump?
If they can come up with a good reason why you can't have what you want, they have to get their SoS to sign it off. The burden is on them to prove that they do not have to release this information under FOIA 2000, your motives for asking for the information are irrelevant. If they have made hard copies available to the public the they haven't got a leg to stand on, the only info they can get away with backing out is personal information. Would you mind posting (or PMing) the text, or general gist of the message you got declining your request for copies? It may shed some light on a nuance of this case which I'm not picking up on.

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

Would you mind posting (or PMing) the text, or general gist of the message you got declining your request for copies? It may shed some light on a nuance of this case which I'm not picking up on.[/SIZE][/FONT]

I think it's along the lines of "can't be bothered".

Q. When will the submitted responses and result of the consultation be
made publicly available?

A. The responses to the consultation were made available by the Defra
Library on 21 July 2006. The outcome of the consultation will be
included in the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2006 which will come
into force on ! October.

Q. Does that mean they are available only at a real world library or that there is an online resource?

A. I believe they are only available as hard copies from the Defra Library but you may wish to check with them. I also understand that they may charge for providing copies.

Q. Having just said, "Thanks", can you confirm that some sort of a summary will appear on this web-page;

http://www.vmd.gov.uk/publications/consultations/previous.htm

If so, when? If not, why not?

A. [Nothing so far. My last question was posted at lunchtime today]

So, am I being unfair pulling an FoI on them? Should I just contact the DEFRA library and ask for copies?

[brodski]

So, am I being unfair pulling an FoI on them? Should I just contact the DEFRA library and ask for copies? They should have treated your request as an FoI request in the first place (without you even askign for yoru case to be rteated as an FoI request), they are being sloppy. I've put in my own FoI request so we'll see how they handle that. You could contact eth DEFRA Libary direct and ask for coppies, but yopu shouldn't have to.

[Blue Bubble]

*Bump* ...

BSM ? Yuri ? (Rolfe ?)

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

*Bump* ...

BSM ? Yuri ? (Rolfe ?)

Nothing.

Hey, Brodski, any news from the VMD? If they don't respond to you soon I will also send an explicit request under FoI and copy it to others and see whether that shakes them up.

[brodski]

Nothing.

Hey, Brodski, any news from the VMD? If they don't respond to you soon I will also send an explicit request under FoI and copy it to others and see whether that shakes them up.
Nothing yet. I'll chase them on monday.

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

Nothing yet. I'll chase them on monday.

Thanks. I'll wait and see what their response is to you.

[Blue Bubble]

*Big Bump* ... :o

BSM ? Yuri ? Rolfe ? Brodski ?

[richardm]

Wow, that's a long gap :(