There is a significant difference between a FOIA request and a PQ. Apart from the fact that a PQ is tabled by a member of Parliament, a PQ may require the compilation of information. However the FOIA specifically refers to “documents held by”. This means that an FOI request should refer to an existing document, or else, the public authority should identify a document that refers to the information being requested. It is for this reason that the public authority is not obliged to compile information but to simply provide access to a document. However, there is nothing that prevents the public authority from compiling information. Moreover, public authorities are duty bound to reply to a “single request”, and it may ask you to redefine your request if it refers to a number of different documents that are unrelated.