Railway Byelaws: enforcement of homemade penalties

Handbags-at-dawn

So….the DfT finally admits it hasn’t the foggiest idea how Indigo/Saba’s “penalties” can be enforced.

This FOIR asked about this specific issue, as well as whether there was any form of appeal system which would satisfy the legal requirements of Article 6 European Convention on Human Rights.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/railway_byelaws_parking_penaltie#outgoing-897587

I don’t suppose Sir Humphrey will be too pleased with their eventual, and evidently reluctant, response:

“This is not a request for recorded information. The effect of your questions is to ask whether the Department knows how penalties can be enforced and whether there is an appeals system. This can be answered in prose form, as the response you received did. For the avoidance of doubt, the answer to both questions, in short, is no.”

It’s on the second page of this letter, 4th paragraph down.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/549085/response/1361688/attach/2/Internal%20review%20response%20Anderson.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1

DoaM

Actually, you can see Sir Humphrey's hand in the response. Your questions were whether they had information - their answers were No. Not that they didn't know how to handle the situation, just that they didn't have information relating to your request.

Handbags-at-dawn

DoaM wrote: »

Actually, you can see Sir Humphrey's hand in the response. Your questions were whether they had information - their answers were No. Not that they didn't know how to handle the situation, just that they didn't have information relating to your request.

The point is, they themselves re-interpreted the questions, as in : “you are asking whether the Dept knows how penalties can be enforced....” before answering “No”.