Author: simon
OFT Deleted Email From Public On Ferry Consultation UPDATED
Friday, 12th June, 2009 at 3:22 pm, Isle of Wight
Ferry, Island-wide, Politics, Travel
We were having a read through the details of the
Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Market study into Island ferry services when we noticed something very important that it was easy to miss – the OFT deleted emails sent by the public, without reading them.
The OFT are saying that any emails sent to their suggested email address (isleofwightferries@oft.gov.uk), between 27 February 2009 and 10 March 2009 were “deleted by mistake and cannot recover(ed).”
“A technical malfunction”
They put this down to a “technical malfunction.”
Given the request for email comments was first published on 27 February and that the cut off date for responses was 27 March, the email responses for nearly half of the period open to public were deleted.
Anyone who moved reasonably early to pass their email comments to the OFT on the ferries will not have had their responses considered.
We have contacted the OFT to find out how many emails were lost and we are waiting to speak to them.
UPDATE: The OFT have been back in touch and tell us that they estimate the number of missing emails was between 10-15 , and they’ve now updated page to reflect this.
MP Andrew Turner responds
VentnorBlog called MP Andrew Turner about this and he said, “I’m astounded to hear this.
“The consultation opened on 27 February, when the OFT actively invited email comments, and it seems that a lot of people will have responded quickly.
“I know that my office used that email address to forward emails from the public that we received. It’s an important failure and I’ll be raising it when I see them.”
How can emails be deleted?
To delete emails these days, when any organisation of size have backups and archiving procedures, is shocking and hard to understand.
Report findings in question?
As email responses of some Islanders were not considered, it must bring into question the findings of the report, as it’s possible that the views of the people effected by the investigations haven’t had their comments taken into account.
The OFT suggestion? “In the event that you emailed this email address between these dates, please feel free to resend your emails and we will consider them in connection with our consultation exercise.”
Misreporting
This news comes on top of the IW Council’s Policy Commission for business and infrastructure misreporting an Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce survey of small Island businesses to the OFT.
Where as the Chamber report found that 81% of small companies thought the cost of cross-Solent travel had an adverse effect on business, the Commission reported to the OFT that 81% didn’t think it had an effect.
Did you email in?
If you sent an email to the OFT in the period that they deleted the mail, please get in touch with us to we can get a rough idea of the numbers.
Related posts:
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Credit where it’s due and it’s not often that we... - OFT IW Ferry Report: Provisional No: UPDATED
There's a provisional No from the OFT for further investigations... - Reduce Ferry Prices: UPDATED
There’s probably not more than a handful of people on... - Series of Public Information Evenings During Education Consultation
Isle of Wight Council has organised a number of public...
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I did email them. I am stunned by their cavalier attitude, their ongoing failure to be seen to be building a portfolio of evidence and their disregard for public input. I am at a loss to understand how they have calculated that the entire island, including Andrew Turners office, contributed an estimated 10-15 emails in this time. Is anybody aware of any ombudsman that can be contacted?
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They have looked in the ‘trash’ bin, I suppose?
That and the diametrically opposite recording of the CoC survey is ineptitude on a mind-boggling scale. One for Private Eye, I think…
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I wonder if they were paid to remove the e-mails?
As the system is so corrupt at present, it does make you think what forces are working against Andrew Turners attempt to get fairer prices for the Ferries.
Hopefully Andrew Turners Office will have his e-mails still on file, but it’s soul destroying when local people take the time and energy to have a say and as usual their thoughts are dismissed as in valid or trivial.
The only person who could deal with this issue would be the Lord Attorney, who can investigate to see if this due to corruption or just down right stupidity!!
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if they ‘deleted’ the emails- then surely without finding them then they can’t call that a full public consultation either, part-yes.
but ‘part’ does not constitue a full public consultation and given the irreleguarities an extended or new period should called given the title of the commision concerned.
Can’t help feeling that we are not being told a lot of relevant facts and reasons on this and that,being realistic, there may be other ,economic strategy and factors
that we are not privy to?
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