Dear Dr Geraint Bevan

Re: Request under the 2000 Freedom of Information Act

Thank you for your e-mail dated 29th April 2009, in which you sought information relating to the following from the Ministry of Justice:

Provide me with a copy of the letter dated 26th November 2008 in which the Electoral Commission sets out its reasons for not wishing to assume the role of keeping the CORE electoral database.

I can confirm that the Department holds the information within the scope of your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The letter from the Electoral Commission dated 26 November 2008 that is referred to by Sir Peter Viggers (Hansard, 27 Apr 2009: Column 1037W) has been attached with this letter.

As part of our obligations under the FOIA, the Ministry of Justice has an independent review process. If you are dissatisfied with this decision, you may write to request an internal review. The internal review will be carried out by someone who did not make the original decision, and they will re-assess how the Department handled the original request.

If you wish to request an internal review, please write or send an email to the Data Access and Compliance Unit within two months of the date of this letter, at the following address:

Data Access and Compliance Unit

Information Directorate

Ministry of Justice

1^st Floor, Zone 1C

Post point 1.41

102 Petty France

London

SW1H 9AJ

e-mail: [email address]

If you remain dissatisfied after an internal review decision, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner's Office under Section 50 of the FOIA. You can contact the Information Commissioner's Office at the following address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Internet: https://www.ico.gov.uk/Global/contact_us.aspx

Yours sincerely

Sue Grobler

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