Request for information - Ref No: FOI241227
Request
We received your request on 13 March 2024.
We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.
A copy of your request is set out in the extract below:
“Please include the following information for the following years, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23:
- A list of all the staff networks at the organisation
- Whether each network receives internal funding and, if so, how much (please express annually for the last four financial years)
- How much FTE equivalent staff time each network is entitled to. For example, a staff network may have a chair who’s entitled to spend 10% of their working hours devoted to the network (please express annually for the last three financial years)
A list of events that each network has held in this financial year so far (April to the present day), including the title of the event, information on any guest speakers and the time of the event”
Our response
I confirm that Ordnance Survey does hold some of the information you have requested. Where the information is not held this is noted.
Taking each request in turn, I confirm the following:
1. A list of all the staff networks at the organisation
- Women+ development
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBT+
- Neurodiversity
- Religion and belief
- Accessibility
2. Whether each network receives internal funding and, if so, how much (please express annually for the last four financial years)
We do not have internal funding allocated to each specific network. Therefore, we do not hold the requested information.
However, under the duty to provide advice and assistance in accordance with section 16 of the FOIA, I can confirm that a fee of £2,000 was paid for the Women + Development’s session on 6 March 2024.
In addition, we have a membership to the Inclusive Employers Network which allows us to access best practice content and learning material for all the staff networks, the annual fee for which is £5,000. The content and material Staff Networks use are primarily sourced from here.
3. How much FTE equivalent staff time each network is entitled to. For example, a staff network may have a chair who’s entitled to spend 10% of their working hours devoted to the network (please express annually for the last three financial years)
All networks are run by volunteers. There is no set allocation of time.
4. A list of events that each network has held in this financial year so far (April to the present day), including the title of the event, information on any guest speakers and the time of the event
Network |
Date of Event |
Title |
Speaker |
Women + Development |
13 Sep 2023 1100-1200 |
Endometriosis awareness event |
Representative from Endometriosis South Coast. Name of speaker exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) FOIA. See below for further details. |
|
14 Sep 2023 1210-1250 (lunchtime) |
Yoga |
No speaker. Via Teams. |
|
26 Sep 2023 1030-1130 |
Discussing women and neurodiversity |
No speaker. Network members via Teams. |
|
28 Sep 2023 1200-1255 (lunchtime) |
QA panel and networking lunch |
Head of software services propositions, production unit lead, senior data scientist talking about their career journeys. Names of speakers exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) FOIA. See below for further details. |
|
4 Mar 2024 1130-1200 |
Introduction to international women’s day |
Director Steve Showell and network leads. Name of network leads exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) FOIA. See below for further details. |
|
5 Mar 2024 1130-1230 |
Gender pay gap and network action plan |
OS HR representative. Name of speaker exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) FOIA. See below for further details. |
|
6 Mar 2024 1500-1630 |
The future of work and the role of all genders- exploring barriers opportunities and practical strategies to dismantle obstacles for greater inclusion |
Guest speaker from T-minus via Zoom. Name of speaker exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) FOIA. See below for further details. |
|
7 Mar 2024 1100-1130 |
Spotlight on women in Tech apprenticeships |
Apprenticeship training provider QA.com via Teams |
|
20 Mar 2024 1400-1530 |
Visible role model panel |
OS Non-Executive Directors, Lynn Mawdsley and Fiona Strens, talk about their career highlights - in person event. |
Ethnic minorities |
1 Jun 2023 |
30 years on Stephen Lawrence and the effect on the black community |
Inclusive employers article shared internally |
|
27 Jun 2023 |
Multilingualism |
BBC article shared internally |
|
12 Jul 2023 |
Black geographers newsletter |
Article shared internally |
|
20 Sep 2023 |
Guardian article CPRE research racial disparity around access to nature and green space |
Article shared with network |
|
6-17 Oct 2023 |
Black History month |
An OS employee was named as one of 51 black women in UK who has impacted the Tech industry – articles were shared and links to official black history website and inclusive employers intro guide to BHM |
|
27 Jan 2024 |
Holocaust Memorial Day |
Article shared internally |
|
10 Feb 2024 |
Lunar/Chinese New Year |
Article and personal experience shared internally |
LGBT+ |
26 Aug 2023 |
Southampton Pride |
Awareness |
|
2 Nov 2023 |
New transitioning policy- awareness |
Guidance produced and published internally |
|
6 Nov 2023 1300 |
LGBTQ+ security clearance and vetting event civil service |
Teams meeting |
|
20 Nov 2023 |
Transgender day of remembrance |
Article shared with network |
|
24 Jan 2024 1200-1300 |
Bimonthly lunchtime social |
Teams meeting |
|
20 Feb 2024 1400-1500 |
FFLAG speaking event |
FFLAG ambassadors x 2 charity and voluntary organisation |
|
9 & 16 Feb 2024 |
LGBT History month |
Articles shared with network |
|
Feb 2024 1200-1300 (lunchtime) |
LGBT Film club |
Teams meeting at lunchtime to discuss film |
Neurodiversity |
27 Feb 2024 |
Neurodiversity celebration week 18-22 March |
Virtual events to sign up for |
|
15 Mar 2024 |
Autism acceptance week 2 to 8 April |
Shared video from Chris Packham |
Religion and belief |
Nov/Dec 2023 |
Celebrating Hanukkah |
Awareness article |
|
Oct/Nov 2023 |
Celebrating Diwali |
Awareness articles |
|
Mar-Apr 2024 |
Ramadan |
Awareness article on network site |
Accessibility |
1 Feb 2024 |
Time to talk day |
Link to mental health resources and support |
|
7 Mar 2024 |
New quiet working area |
Meeting free zone- shared |
Section 40(2) (Personal information)
The information relating to the names of external guest speakers and OS employees is held by Ordnance Survey but is exempt from disclosure under section 40(2) (personal information) of the FOI Act, as the information constitutes personal data.
Section 40(2) provides that personal data can be withheld if disclosure of this information would breach any of the data protection principles contained in the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018.
In this case disclosure of the names of the external guest speakers and OS employees would contravene the first data protection principle, which provides that personal data must be processed fairly and lawfully, section 40(2) and (3) of the FOIA therefore apply.
In reaching this decision, we have particularly considered:
- the reasonable expectations of the individuals. Ordnance Survey considered that none of the individuals would have a reasonable expectation that their personal data would be disclosed;
- the consequences of disclosure; and
- any legitimate public interest in disclosure.
Section 40(2) is an absolute exemption and therefore not subject to the public interest test.
Internal review
Your enquiry has been processed according to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. If you are unhappy with our response, you may request an internal review with our Internal Review Officer by contacting them, within two months of receipt of our final response to your Freedom of Information (FOI) request, as follows:
Internal Review Officer
Customer Service Centre
Ordnance Survey
Adanac Drive
Southampton
SO16 0AS
Please include the reference number above. You may request an internal review where you believe Ordnance Survey has:
- Failed to respond to your request within the time limits (normally 20 working days)
- Failed to tell you whether or not we hold the information
- Failed to provide the information you have requested
- Failed to explain the reasons for refusing a request
- Failed to correctly apply an exemption or exception
The Internal Review Officer will not have been involved in the original decision. They will conduct an independent internal review and will inform you of the outcome of the review normally within 20 working days, but exceptionally within 40 working days, in line with the Information Commissioner’s guidance.
The Internal Review Officer will either: uphold the original decision, provide an additional explanation of the exemption/s applied or release further information, if it is considered appropriate to do so.
Appeal to Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
If you are still dissatisfied after our internal review, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). You should make complaints to the ICO within six weeks of receiving the outcome of an internal review. The easiest way to lodge a complaint is through the ICO website.